Scales and Flower Petals
by zenithzwei
Summary: Issei thought wherever he goes to, his daily life will never change. But wait, what is this 'Hero Club? Why is he in a forest with a gigantic monster approaching him? And since when did the other club members dressed strangely? Honestly, he should've known that his destiny is never to be a normal person with a normal life...
1. Chapter 1 - Springtime

_It wasn't long after my childhood friend left Japan with his parents, and shortly before my family moved out from our hometown._

 _"Become superheroes, you'd say?"_

 _That day, I went to that park to fill the hole in my heart, caused by Irina's departure._

 _"That's right! We promised each other to become superheroes! We were supposed to fight against evil and save the day together!"_

 _I was hoping to vent out my frustrations and sadness. By a coincidence or a stroke of luck, I encountered someone I never saw around the town there. I was wary at first but since he didn't look like a bad guy and asked me why I was so upset, I told him the past few days' events without beating the bush at all._

 _"Hoh... That's not a bad dream you have there," The old man brushed his smooth beard. "In this kind of age, maybe being a superhero is necessary, especially for humankind."_

 _"Huh...? What do you mean by that?"_

 _"Ah, it's nothing. Nothing at all, youngster."_

 _The old man gave a gentle smile at me. I didn't get why but it looked like he was having fun._

 _"But... You should know that a superhero's job is tough and monotone. There's a huge weight in that word, youngster."_

 _"Ah? Why is that?"_

 _"Hm... For example, can you save two people in trouble when one of them is in the other side of the world?"_

 _It was a valid question. There was even a sound argument in there that words failed me. Because of that, I looked down, deflated by how easily my dream was crushed._

 _"Instead of living like that, why don't you try a more interesting path for you?"_

 _"More interesting... Is there something like that?"_

 _"Of course! In fact, I am a follower of that path and am living my life in complete bliss!"_

 _The old man was saying something amazing. He even spun out wondrous tales that I couldn't doubt him at all. At the end of it all—_

 _"If you want to, I can teach it for you. However..."_

 _"What is it? What is it?! Tell me already, old man!"_

 _"It won't be fun if you are just following my footsteps, so let's do this. In the future, you will—"_

 _As I listened to his advice, the scenery blurred and my consciousness was sucked back to reality._

* * *

[WAKE UP! WAKE UP! IF YOU DON'T WAKE UP I'M GOING TO K-KISS YOU...!]

The sound of alarm installed with a certain loveable game heroine's voice blared through the room.

Though saying that, the owner of said alarm was still half-asleep and smiling weirdly.

"Uhe... Uhe he he... Then, a kiss..." Hyoudou Issei was currently having a nice, gorgeous dream where he flirted with his dream harem.

It was a dream he wanted from childhood. Surrounded by women he loved, it was a heaven of pure bliss that comforted him every night. And now, he was going to-

"Wake up, Ise!"

The boy's eyes snapped open at the harsh voice coming from outside of his room which crashed his dream in a heartbeat.

Getting up with a yawn, he grunted when he found out his bed was empty.

 _Ah. Too bad, it's just a dream... Well, I guess that's a given._

Lamenting, Issei lazily changed into his uniform, washed his face and brushed his teeth. After eating breakfast together with his parents, he left home with his schoolbag carried over his shoulder.

"Oh, Issei-kun... Good morning." His neighbour greeted.

Issei bowed his head, "Morning, Baa-chan!"

"Energetic like always, aren't you? Come play over when you are free. I'm sure my grandchildren will be happy to see you again."

"Right!"

Waving a hand, Issei left the block and entered a pedestrian crossing. Looking to the left and right, he saw teenagers with similar uniforms growing in numbers.

It was a sunny day with gentle breezes blowing over the town. Blossoming cherry trees painted the dull streets with lively pink color and warmth touched every student walking through the street towards their respective schools.

Then, someone bumped Issei shoulder roughly from behind.

"Yo, Ise!" A male classmate laughed as he dashed away.

"Gah! Oi, you...!"

Even though he knew it was useless to shout, Issei did it anyway. After the classmate was no longer on sight, he sighed and readjusted his uniform before following after his trail.

When he arrived in front of the school – Sanshu Municipal Middle School, some past memories flooded in and drained the boy's energy.

"...Ah. Even though I've been here for half a year, why am I feeling it will be hectic from now on?" Issei asked to no one in particular.

But he immediately shook his head and slapped both of his cheeks, renewing his vigor at once.

"That's right! It won't be good if I'm like this! I must accomplish it, my lifetime goal...!"

Saying such thing, the brown-haired boy skipped his ways into the school grounds as a plan was formed in his head. Though saying that, what was the plan?

It was—!

* * *

"Gugyaaaaaaaa!?"

A death throe resembling a slaughtered pheasant echoed.

"M-Motohama...!" Issei screamed as his comrade fell to the ground unmoving. "D-damn it! Matsuda, Motohama is down!"

"Eeei! So we got tracked! Move out, Ise! Don't get captured or else Motohama's valiant effort will be in vain!"

"O-ou!"

The two male students scrambled off from the bush and entered the lane surrounding the school fields. But their pursuer leaped out and landed in front of them.

A whistle screamed, stunning the two. Before they could react, the person – no, the girl put a hand on her hip, her white ribbon tying her hair into a ponytail swayed by the spring breeze. On top of the cherry blossom petal hairpin, she also possessed bright red eyes that suited her very well.

"Stop right there! Today, your rebellious actions will be put to a stop for eternity!" Yuuki Yuuna declared.

 _Guh!_ The two criminals squeaked, sweats dribbling down their skins and their complexions paling.

"It's the Hero Club again, huh! Stop getting in the way of our pursuit for romance!" Matsuda swung his arm.

"A pursuit of romance doesn't violate someone's privacy! Also, aren't you two peeping on the girls' changing room!?" Yuuna pointed out.

A sound comeback was delivered! Even the two (alleged) perverts couldn't deny the statement now that their crimes were exposed in the open.

"Sh-shut up! As if you'd understand the meaning of romance, you flat-chested self-proclaimed Hero!"

"Wrong! I AM a Hero, senpai! It's the job of a Hero to stop villains from committing crimes!"

As always, a small crowd had gathered though the majority were female students. Even though there was little time until homeroom, this event had become a daily occurrence that even teachers would spectate over it with a canned drink in their hand.

But the reason why most of them took a fair distance away from the scene was simple.

"Now prepare yourself!"

With several leaps, the girl arrived in front of Matsuda and hammered in a corkscrew blow.

"Gebhorraaa!?" Pervert A screamed, careening away and crashing down.

His body twitched several times before it stopped moving.

There was no sound. It's a dead body!

"Oooooohh!" The crowd cheered (mostly female).

"Next!" The Hero yelled, meeting the gaze of Pervert B.

"Gh...! This isn't the end! Don't think only you have improved, Yuuna-chan!" Issei yelled.

"Just like what I want, Ise-senpai!"

Gritting his teeth, the two readied their stances. Silence reigned and wind kicked up dirt. The moment the dust settled?

" "Now!" "

The two ran towards each other, holding up their fists. Their gazes were fierce and there was no fear or hesitation in their moves. Once they reached their own optimal ranges, the two screeched to a halt, sending their knuckles forward and—!

 _"Quit it already, you bumbling fools!"_

A blonde-haired girl descended in-between them and smashed the two fighters' heads to the ground.

The sounds of the twin paper fans hitting their intended targets echoed, clear and vibrant. Meanwhile, the uninformed crowd could only roar in surprise and cheers at the landslide victory.

"Hmph! That's enough playing around you two," The blonde said, patting her shoulder with the paper fan as if it was a sword. "And I'm surprised by your tenacity, my lecherous junior. I think something like this just happened yesterday, or am I wrong?"

Issei didn't budge. Probably because his head was still buried in the ground. Sighing, the blonde girl pulled him up by the collar and delivered a mean glare straight to his eyes.

The girl who he recalled as a popular upperclassman smiled, "Your response?"

"Y-yes ma'am!" Issei saluted.

"Alright then. You're going to get a sermon this time." The girl with blonde twintails low grinned.

"Why!?"

Nodding down, she grabbed Yuuna's collar this time and dragged the two away. The crowd dispersed at her daily exclamation of 'alright guys! Nothing to see here!'

At this point, someone would have asked 'what about the other perverts?' but since nobody cared about them, the two were left alone as is.

* * *

 **-Author's Rambling-**

Hello. I extend my greeting to you who selected this story as your first read over my works, and welcome back to those who have read my works before. This is the author speaking through the wonderful power of linebreak and arbitrary usage of centred texts.

This story is a fairly new one where I first laid my hands on the Magical Girls genre as a crossover ingredient. Ignoring my inexperience self aside, I'm well-versed about the series in general so I think I can manage this. I just hope my tendency of going over-the-top will not scare you. It won't be fun if I don't poison my readers little by little, lol.

We're quickly diving into the story with Ise being Ise and the Hero Club acting as the stoppers. From someone's perspective, it's clear who's the bad guy is but somehow, it turned into a double KO done by Fuu. How did it come to this...? Ah, well. Anyway. The story already differed from canon with Issei in Sanshu rather than Kuoh, but the differences aren't going to end there.

The title is something that I drew from watching YuYuYu's chapter titles which are meant to show both the chapter content as well as relating it with flowers. It's the so-called 'flower language'. There will also be various things coming from both DxD and YuYuYu so pay attention to trivial details! Who knows, there will be something hidden behind them.

With that, this rambling is done and I shall excuse myself. Everyone, happy new year. Let's keep on trying until we succeed. alright?


	2. Chapter 2 - Consolation

"Well, then. Have you prepared your excuse now, Hyoudou-san?"

In the face of the overwhelming pressure emitted by a certain history addict, Hyoudou Issei could not tear his eyes off from her.

Of course, there were various things that should be mentioned first. For example, an energetic redhead who liked referring him as 'senpai', or the blonde sisters with loveable personalities who were observing from a corner of the clubroom.

Unfortunately, all thoughts were blown away when the girl before him – Tougou Mimori curved her lips into a smile that did not reach her eyes.

"Offense one – peeping on the girls' changing room."

Guh, Issei grunted, a paper fan rapping his head.

"Offense two – picking a fight with your classmate."

Mgah, Issei groaned, the paper fan striking his left and right shoulder respectively.

"Offense three – you dared laying your hand on Yuuna-chan again!"

"What's with the last offense – pigyah!?"

After the criminal fell to the floor, trembling in agony, the resident redhead grasped Tougou's shoulders.

"Tougou-san! Tougou-san! That was a casual greeting between Ise-senpai and me! He didn't do anything bad!" Yuuna remarked, trying her best to hold her best friend in check.

"So he's still acting overly casual with Yuuna-chan...!" Tougou cried out.

"It's not like that...!"

The situation quickly devolved with the two second-years going back and forth without a way to solve it. Heaving a deep sigh, the blonde upperclassman – Inubouzaki Fuu squatted and poked Issei on the face.

"Do you understand now? That's the wrath of Tougou for ya."

"Y-yes... I'm sorry..." Issei apologized, sobbing.

"Hm. A good response," Fuu stood back up while assisting him. "Still, I'm surprised you're still at it. If you really want to get a girlfriend, that kind of attitude is a no-no you know?"

 _Guh_ , Issei grunted, his body visibly shuddered.

"B-but... I can't help it!" He got up, revealing a serious expression that was almost never seen by many people, including even his parents. "I like women! No, that's not it... I love them! And I love their breasts!"

Without a shred of shame or hesitation, the boy declared his pent up feelings bluntly. It was honest, sincere and fierce that it stunned everyone in the room. Even so...

"Then what will you do next?" Fuu asked with a difficult expression.

"Marry them all!"

"And why do you think nothing will go wrong with that logic...?"

"Because I will be a Harem King!"

 _Uwaaahh..._ , almost all the girls thought like that. Ignoring Yuuna and her innocence which applied to Itsuki to a certain extent, Fuu pinched the bridge of her nose while Tougou knitted her eyebrows together in disapproval.

"He has lost it." Fuu gave up.

"Indeed. He is beyond salvation." Tougou nodded.

 _Aren't you being way too mean!?_

"Actually, I'm more amazed that you are living with that sort of mindset. Your thought patterns are... very different than those around here." Fuu blew air through her nose. "I wonder if this is normal on the mainland."

"Eh? But I think it's really simple though?"

…

All at once, everyone turned their eyes towards the person who unexpectedly said such things.

None of the people present in the room could have predicted it, because that person was—

"Y-you understand, Yuuna-chan?" Issei asked, his body shaking in extreme nervousness.

"Huh? But didn't Ise-senpai said that he loves women? The meaning is different than 'like' right?" The redhead tilted her head. "So that means rather than just skirt chasing, Ise-senpai wants to love and be loved by the girls he cared for."

Her logic was... correct. For Japanese people, the terms 'like' and 'love' were bridged harshly yet concisely. Even the word used to express it was different. However, to hear it from his own mouth with someone else, especially from a girl's mouth were two completely different matters.

 _Even though everyone else didn't notice, only Yuuna-chan did...! Is this a miracle!?_

"Yuuna-chan...!" Issei nearly leaped when he grabbed the girl's hands. "I love you! Let's get marri—bgah!?"

Another paper fan struck the impulsive boy's head.

"Forming illicit relationship with Yuuna-chan is prohibited!" Tougou half-shouted.

"This isn't getting nowhere, isn't it...?" Fuu exhaled.

"B-but there is nothing wrong with it... Right, Onee-chan?" Itsuki asked.

"Even if you say that, my cute little sister... We're supposed to report to the teacher that Junior-kun has successfully reformed. Looking at it this way, that's beyond even our – Hero Club's capability." The older Inubouzaki sibling stared long and hard at the second-year trio. "If only there's a way to keep Hyoudou in check without making more problems..."

It was then the only first-year member of the club made a surprised sound. Though somewhat low, her voice was enough to bring everyone's attentions to her and when they did, she fidgeted around.

"U-umm... I have an idea." Itsuki raised a hand. "Why don't we let Hyoudou-senpai join our club?"

...

"I see! So we can both monitor him and tell the teacher that he's trying to reform himself!" Fuu pounded her fist onto her palm. "Good job, Itsuki!"

"Eh!?" Issei exclaimed in shock. "Wait, what do you mean by that, senpai...!?"

"Alright, senpai. Here's a pen." Yuuna made the boy to hold a pen.

 _Ah! A girl…! A girl is holding my hand for the first time! What softness and silky smooth texture…!_

"Write your name, class, then sign here and… we're done!" Yuuna took back the pen and the paper and waved the latter to the club leader. "Fuu-senpai, here's Ise-senpai's club application form…!"

 _Oh, shit!?_ Issei realized too late as the girl giggled and delivered the unknown piece of paper he accidentally signed on to Fuu. The girl grinned widely.

"Alright! With this, Hyoudou Issei-kun… You are now an official member of the Sanshu Middle School Hero Club!"

"No waaaaaaaaayyyy!?"

That day, Issei's fate was sealed.

* * *

The day passed and another morning dawned.

Walking alone to school, Issei yawned as he groaned in resignation.

"Man, what was all that about, yesterday…?" He sighed. "Ugh. And there's no taking back, huh?"

To tell the truth, he wasn't expecting this all to happen. First, he was trying to fulfill his needs as a normal and healthy man with a healthy sexual drive, but suddenly he challenged himself against his classmate and then taken captive in a weird club.

 _Before I noticed, I've become a member of an extracurricular club even though I was never interested in it…_

"Uuu… I don't want to minimize the time spend in games and porns…" The pervert lamented.

 _But I don't want to miss the chance of getting in a club full of girls alone… What am I supposed to do then?_

When he heard waves crashing against the cliffs, Issei's gaze was drawn to the sea. The surface of the sea was blue with sunlight sparkling on and off due to the motions of the waves.

The scent was salty and the wind was chilly. But when he narrowed his eyes a little, at the horizon stood a line of gray that did not mix well with the blue floor and ceiling of the world.

"Even though I've seen it so often I got bored of it…" Issei murmured. "Just from here, the wall already looks big enough so from the up close, it must be gigantic."

Albeit an idiot, it didn't mean Issei was not in the know of the walls which split apart the inland sea of Seto… no, the Honshu and Shikoku from Kyushu and Hokkaido. It was depressing to know that only the first two islands could be inhabited by people but since it had been that way even before his parents were born, the boy took it as granted.

"Still… when was it again? Was it several hundred years ago or something…"

"To be more precise, the walls have been there for three hundred years now."

 _Huh?_ When he turned his head, behind him, pushed by his classmate was the girl in a wheelchair, Tougou. Yuuna waved a hand cheerfully but Issei could only stare as the black-haired girl's visage seemed different than the usual.

"Ah. Pardon me. Good morning, Hyoudou… kun."

"Mh? What's with the pause?"

"Ah, well… It's just, I have an adverse opinion to _people such as you_. Please forgive my unwillingness to even refer you politely."

 _Are you saying you hate me that much that you want to betray normal etiquette!?_ Issei gawked at the incredulity of the situation but he soon snapped back to the words Tougou previously said.

"Eh… Is it true that the walls have been there for three hundred years, _Tougou-chan?_ " He pointed to the sea, but he instantly reeled back at the way the girl stared at him now.

 _Ah. Looks like I can't address her like that. Just how much do you dislike me, Tougou_ -san _…?_

Probably noticing his reaction, Tougou closed her eyes, took a deep breath in and exasperated.

"My apology," She said, reopening her dark green eyes. "Since there will be pop quiz at traditional history class today, this might be useful to both you and Yuuna-chan."

 _Guh. I… totally forgot about that!_ Issei looked dryly at Yuuna but she too wore the same expression. _Ah. We're going to get scolded, aren't we?_

 _It does seem like it,_ Yuuna nodded with a resigned smile, her gaze turning distant as if she had abandoned life and everything else.

"…You two… I can't believe this at all." The girl in the wheelchair nursed her temple. "Very well then. I shall review the quiz materials to both of you while we're on the way."

"Really, Tougou-san?!"

"Seriously!?"

Tougou blinked, taken aback by the sudden approaches of the boy and the girl who were fellow club members to her. But she soon smiled and explained.

"It will be detrimental if you are failing such a simple quiz, Yuuna-chan. Also, I can't trust this person at all if the two of you were to take supplementary lessons together."

"Hoe?" Yuuna tilted her head.

 _Guh! So she doesn't care whatever will happen if only me that did not study…!_

"But it also won't be good if the class average goes down just because of my selfishness so pay attention, you two!"

"Yaay! Thank you very much, Tougou-san!"

"I have complicated feelings about this but first of all, thanks for the guidance, Tougou-sensei!"

And so…

 _Kohon,_ the wheelchair-bound girl coughed into her fist and raised her index finger. With such simple gesture, Issei could already sense the air of charisma and composure only teacher or adult could ever have from Tougou.

But since she didn't notice how awed he was, Tougou began her lecture without further ado.

"First of all, the walls were built because an unknown Virus suddenly spread across the world. It killed every living beings that came across it. However, with swift decisions, the Walls were built around the country, protecting Japan from destruction."

"A Virus…" Issei remarked. "Even though I've heard it before, it doesn't sound real at all."

"Be that as it may, humanity has survived by barricading themselves in the protection of the walls. It seems other countries were capable of avoiding disasters in the same way too, but it is no longer possible to travel beyond the walls via the sea."

 _Ah… That's really depressing._ Despite having no thought of going overseas, Issei had browsed the internet and saw many wondrous images only other countries could ever have. But when he thinks about it, he wasn't even sure if those images… those sceneries still existed.

If the Virus still remained, then only a death world could exist outside. _It made me wonder how and why are we still alive if what we have is only a thick wall barricading the country. Could it be the Virus don't crawl above certain height?_

"…there are many factors as to how can mere concrete walls can stop the spreading of the Virus, but the walls our country have are a little special than the others." Tougou remarked.

"Because Shinju-sama was the one who helped building them?" Yuuna chimed in.

Tougou nodded while Issei hummed, not voicing any word as he wasn't sure of it. Back in his hometown, the environment differed and what he studied there up to the second semester of his first year during middle school was practically mundane.

It was less strict in terms of moral codes and though the Shinju was mentioned fairly often, it was never as an important subject in various classes including traditional history. _Thinking like this, Sanshu is a completely different place unlike Kuoh._

"Shinju-sama is the one who blesses the country with abundant resources and everlasting security. Its far-reaching roots spread beneath the earth and protected life from wilting against the virus. It is also why the fishes, the air, the underground waters and the sea are still safe to be used by us." Tougou paused. "Thus, as a token of gratitude, it is a must for us to give our loyalty to the country who directly serves Shinju-sama."

"L-loyalty…?" Issei muttered, surprised by the sudden shift of intonation in Tougou's voice.

"That's right. _Loyalty,_ " Tougou repeated with a glint in her eyes. "For the country that has done so much for us, isn't it a given for us to be thankful by upholding our duty as the countrymen?"

 _Eeehh… I didn't know my classmate is someone with patriotic mindset…_

* * *

School had ended. With the rings of bell resounding throughout the school ground, lessons ended, teachers returned to the faculty office and students heaved a sigh in relief.

"Yo, Issei! How does it feel, being forced to attend club activities?" Matsuda grinned like a wicked pervert he was. "Sucks to be you!"

"Oh, shut up, you Perverted Baldy. At least I didn't get to stand outside the classroom with a bucket full of water on top of my head!" Issei retorted, sticking his tongue out.

"Hmph. Excuses. Or rather, why would you even take a fight out against _that_ girl?"

 _That… I have no excuse about that._ Issei swiftly looked around the classroom but thankfully, said girl and her best friend had already left to the clubroom.

Needless to say, Issei was texted earlier that he must participate or he would get a counselling from the homeroom teacher.

"So? Can you answer now, Issei?"

"Well… About that…" Issei scratched his cheek, slowly rolling his gaze to the window.

There were various thoughts running in his mind but if he tried to focus on the topic, he could easily understand why he was thinking about it. Although to tell the truth, it was just because he didn't think far or deep enough about it but at least…

 _'_ _I AM a Hero! And the Hero's job is to stop the villains from committing further crimes!'_

"…Ah." The boy muttered, completely surprised by himself. "No, but… There's no way… right?"

"Haa…?"

 _No, no. There's just no way. Though some things were similar, they aren't the same. But if that is so, then…!_

"Sorry! I've gotta go now!" Issei grabbed his bag and sprinted out of the classroom. "I'll pass hanging out with you two today! Also, I'll return the 'Heavenly Festival' series next time, Motohama!"

"Ah?! Dammit, Ise! I've been waiting to play that game, you bastard!"

 _Meh! That can wait for later, four-eye bastard!_

Going through the hallway, Issei jumped down the staircase and rushed to the other side of the school building. He could see only few students both in the hallways or in the classrooms, but he still had to shout 'Sorry, passing by!' just to ensure his path was left open.

Of course, there were some shouts and disgruntled yells but he ignored it all and arrived in front of a certain club room.

"Yuuna-chan! There's something that I— _buh!?_ "

When he entered, there was a scene playing out as if it was daily routine.

"Mmmph! T-Tougou-san…! Can't… breathe…!"

First was a flailing Yuuki Yuuna, his classmate who liked to refer Issei as 'senpai' for reasons unknown to him.

"No! Why can't you understand, Yuuna-chan!? This is for your own good!"

And the other was Tougou Mimori who was hugging her best friend's head in her bountiful bosom with teary eyes.

"To-Tougou-senpai, Yuuna-san is suffocating…!"

Then there was also the cute underclassman Inubouzaki Itsuki. Her kind heart knew no bound as she tried to mediate the situation only to fail horribly.

For some reasons, the alleged club leader was sitting while eating udon as if it was normal to her. She had blissful face as she slurped the food and the strong scent of the broth was tickling one's satiety.

 _But forger all about her! What's important is…!_

 _"_ Buha! F-finally—mgh!? _"_ Yuuna exasperated after pulling her head out from getting buried in Tougou's chest.

But sad to say, she was dragged in back into the hell of the most comfortable cushion in the world. She whined and pleaded to her best friend but Tougou refused by hugging Yuuna ever so tight while rubbing her cheek on her head.

In the meanwhile, Tougou's voluptuous breasts jiggled due to Yuuna's desperate struggles. It was such a sight that Issei nearly unleashed a powerful jet of nosebleed!

 _No! Control yourself, Hyoudou Issei! You must hold back and enjoy the sight even if only for a few moments longer! That's right... record it! I need to record this moment and save it into my brain…!_

"E-err... Senpai, there's blood leaking from your nose." A timid voice reached his ear.

"What!? It can't be...!" Issei hurriedly wiped off the blood with his sleeve. "Phew. I almost lost myself in the moment. Thanks for the save, Itsuki-chan!"

"Fue? Eh-ah-eh... Y-you're welcome..."

The boy grinned at the petite younger Inubouzaki sibling. But it seemed to make her nervous so Issei thought that perhaps he did a really poor job in reassuring a girl, and scratched his head out of disappointment at himself.

 _Ugh... If it's like this, then how can I become a great Harem King...!?_

"Hey hey! Enough playing around, you all!"

Clapping twice, Fuu successfully drew the entire Hero Club members' attentions. Despite it being a simple action, only her alone could produce such an effect. Issei assumed it as her charisma, but other people would definitely agree.

"Now that Junior-kun has arrived, we can now begin our club activity. Make sure you have eaten your fill or you won't last long."

"Fill…?" Issei wondered dubiously.

 _Wait a second... How come she's still holding a bowl of udon?_ Issei looked at the table which had several empty bowls stacked together. _No way…! Since when did the number increased!?_

"Di-did senpai just eat them all?" Issei frightfully pointed at the stacked bowls.

"E-ehm… Onee-chan loves eating udon. She can even eat ten bowls in less than an hour."

 _N-no way…! Is she even a human!?_

"...The pervert over there. You're thinking something rude about me, aren't you?" Fuu asked, half-glaring and pursing her lips together. "Don't you know that meat bukkake udon is the best to fill up a lady's girl power?"

"E-eeh... I didn't think of it and do you even have girl power, senpa – _gah!?_ "

A pen cap hit Issei's forehead. It's a bullseye!

"How rude!" The Hero Club's president exclaimed. "Can't you see that _I_ am overflowing with endless amount of girl power!? There is no one else that can beat me in terms of femininity...!"

"Onee-chan, didn't your sides get chubbier starting this season?" Itsuki retorted.

 _"_ _Guoh...!?_ "

Fuu sunk to the floors.

"I see... So that's why senpai's cheeks looked somewhat plump." Yuuna suddenly chirped in.

"Certainly, eating too much will result in that." Tougou added with a thin smile.

 _Ugh! Damn it! Did it end already? Ah, but at least I saved some parts of it. My collection has just increased!_

Fuu who had already sunk so low was struck by additional blows. Even her color scheme had paled to pure white with something like a soul leaving from her hanging mouth.

However, she jolted back up, and with chopsticks pointed toward Issei, she yelled.

"Sh-shut up...! You guys can _never_ understand a lady's suffering!"

 _No no, I think the consequence of overeating is a feeling shared by anyone._

While everyone in the clubroom thought the same thing, Fuu got psyched herself up with much efforts and willpower. After she reassembled her nonexistent charisma as a club leader, she wrote two lines of words on the whiteboard behind her.

"At any rate... Today, we're going to fulfill the requests we have collected so far. The quota must be reached by the end of the day." Casually, the upperclassman tapped the whiteboard where the number '30' was written on.

Issei, including Yuuna, Tougou and Itsuki sweated at the ridiculous number meant to be the quota. Once he realized his position, the only boy in the room raised his hand.

"Umm... what do you mean by fulfilling requests?" He asked.

"Good question, newbie! Now listen up!" Fuu crossed her arms. "The purpose of our club – Hero Club is to assist anyone who's in troubles! By filing problems in the form of requests, the Hero Club shall assist the clients no matter when, where or what happened!"

 _Ah… So it's like a small charity organization._ "But what if there's a request to go out from school?"

"Obviously, we will ask for permissions to the teachers. Also, requests can be sent in through a paper or e-mail."

"E-mail…?" Issei looked at Tougou who was sitting next to a fairly old personal computer. "Huh, so there's even a website."

 _Looks like these girls really are prepared… No, wait! This isn't what I wanted to talk about!_

"Wait…! But I still don't know anything! And do I even have a saying in this matter!?"

"Not at all. It's the faculty's decision to place you in our care so you have no saying in this matter, Junior-kun."

 _Why!?_ Issei was about to protest again but Yuuna hummed cheerfully.

"Yay! Now we can finally be an official club! As expected of Fuu-senpai!" She exclaimed.

"Dubious the selection for the fifth member may be, I cannot deny that we are severely lacking in places requiring physical strength." Tougou put out her two cents.

"U-um...! Fight on!" Itsuki pumped her fists together.

 _Oh no, they're getting more and more ideas about this! I have to escape! Somehow! But these girls are all pretty... but what about my privacy...!_

"...Junior-kun, aren't you acting funny now? Are you so against it?"

"No...! I mean, yes, but no! But yes I do have some problem with it but...!"

With that, something snapped and a pen flew straight to the space between Issei's eyes. Critical hit!

"Stop being indecisive! You're a man, aren't you!?" Fuu roared like a lion. "Show some spirit, you bastard!"

It was just a yell but chills ran down Issei's spine now. He felt his bones vibrating and yet something... Something throbbed in his chest!

 _C-could this be lo...!?_

"Yes Anego...!" Issei saluted, his face suddenly hardening as if he was some reformed delinquent.

"You speak way too goddamn low!" Fuu stepped forward and hammered her foot on a cardboard box. "Where's your voice!?"

"YES ANEGO!"

"Uwoh... Fuu-senpai became a biker gang leader!" Yuuna made an impressed sound.

"So manly… But this isn't what one can call as girl power, right...?" Tougou pressed her chin in deep thought.

"Aah... Onee-chan, that's not feminine at all..." Itsuki heaved a long sigh.

Indeed. There was no question that Fuu's definition of girl power was dimensions away from the norm.

* * *

"First request - fix the library's bookshelves!"

Why fixing bookshelves...? Issei almost had half the thought to voice such question out from his lips but he was already deeply involved in the matter.

As his upperclassman's discussed about what they needed to fix and what tools were needed, Issei faced the wall to contemplate over something profound.

 _Ah... The swimming class for the girls is going to end soon. I couldn't even have the courage to complain too..._

…or maybe not profound at all.

Though lamenting somewhat, he realized he was being surrounded by pretty girls. Looking back at the strange club and its members, Issei's reminisced.

 _Hmhmm... Even though I've just transferred here half-a-year ago, but I think I should update my database._

The redhead was Yuuki Yuuna. Issei remembered she was always cheerful and helpful. She was his class's representative when he transferred in but unsurprisingly, in their second-year, she once again ran in as the class representative.

Other than her unique personality as well as energy, what needed to be noted would be how she was always seen together with her friend who was sitting in the wheelchair.

 _Tougou Mimori-san... I'm curious about why she's in a wheelchair but asking is..._

Nope. Impossible. Even Issei knew there was a line that he must not cross. He was taught that way by his father and his teacher that way, not to mention getting near Tougou always ended up with him being scolded for his regular antics. He'd prefer her telling him by her own will rather than being privy about it.

 _But she has the style and her breasts are just... d'oh! Not now, Issei! You can't ruin this precious moment where you can spend times with girls that don't give you disgusted gazes from the get-go!_

With such simple thought, he proceeded to observe the shortest one among the quartet. Her name was Inubouzaki Itsuki, the lovable junior everyone loved.

 _Yeah. She's cute like a small animal_ , Issei firmly saved her every action into the 'cute girls' folder which was sitting after 'ero' and 'beautiful girls' folders. Needless to say, these folders were his mental database.

 _Last but not the least, her older sister Inubouzaki Fuu-senpai…! She's… Uh, how should I explain her? Other than her breasts and beauty that don't lose to Tougou-san…_

"Muh?" The subject in question suddenly inclined her head and pursed her lips. "A rude person is speaking ill about me."

"Eh? What's with that? Did you evolve your girl power to the next stage, Fuu?" The client who was a classmate of Fuu tilted her head.

 _Whoaa… She sensed it? No, wait. Or rather, what the heck is next stage? Can something like that even evolve?_

At any rate, Issei believed he was in for a good time if he stayed like this. Maybe he'd try to hook up with one of them but he should wait for the right timing. They seemed totally absorbed in the task on hands—

"Oh, right! Hyoudou, come over here!" Fuu waved a hand.

"Hm…? What is it, senpai?"

"Just get over here first."

Though feeling dubious about it, Issei complied and stood near Fuu. But when he was about to ask, his upperclassman grinned and told him to stretch out his arms.

The moment he did so—

"Dowah!?" Something heavy fell onto Issei's hands.

He immediately looked down and he found out it was… It was a toolbox?

"S-senpai…? What is this for…?" The boy asked, half in wonder and half in doubts.

"Tougou and Itsuki are checking on the books' data. Meanwhile, Yuuna and I are going to move out the old shelves after they're disassembled."

 _As such…_

"You're going to do most of the disassembly, Junior-kun." Fuu grinned without a shred of shame or guilt.

"Eeeeeeeeeeehhh!?"

 _I take my words back. There's no way in hell this will be good for me._

* * *

 **-Author's Note-  
**

The chapter title is once again related to a flower. Try to guess which flower I referred to, readers. Other than that, the SoL will last a bit more, just like always.

I think I'm getting the knack of it. I love Grimgar which introduced me to the method in spending a good time in-between conflicts.


	3. Chapter 3 - Faithfulness

_Girls are amazing..._

To tell the truth, Issei wished he could say that out loud but his condition didn't allow it. His arms were dead tired and his legs were like jelly. Even keeping his eyelids open was exceedingly difficult after running around the town five times over.

"Alright, good job everyone! Today's requests have all been fulfilled!"The upperclassman, Fuu stated cheerfully.

The rest of the club members cheered (minus one). But as if she had noticed, her smile turned lukewarm and Fuu placed a hand on her hip.

"Well, since we have a new member with us too, let's celebrate!" Fuu raised another hand and pointed to the orange sky above. "Now, everyone! Let's go to Kameya!"

 _Kame...ya...?_

* * *

In Sanshu, there were a lot of stores selling local varieties.

From traditional sweets to handicrafts, this town had a particular love to their own culture. Issei didn't think of it strange though he was certainly surprised that the townspeople favored one type of dish that when his family moved in, the gifts they received from the neighbors were of a single type.

And so... In this homey, relaxing family restaurant which seemed to be always popular everyday...

"Here's your order! Five extra-large servings of Nabeyaki Udon!"

There was something like a 'Don!' sound effect when Issei watched the empty space on the table filled with a giant bowl of udon.

The bowl was huge, the thick soup in it glittered from pork fats, the toppings were piled atop each other, and the noodles themselves were abundant.

But what was udon? Well, if he were to be blunt, it's a variety of noodle meal. If he wanted to go deeper in details, it was a type of thick wheat flour noodle exclusive to Japanese cuisine. And if he must go to an extreme length just to explain it, then-

"Another extra-large serving, chief!"

"Wait, what?! You've already finished it already, Senpai!?"

 _No way! How could she be so fast like that!? So Fuu-senpai really is not a human!_

"Ugh! Don't look down on me, Junior-kun! I still haven't refilled my girl power, much less increasing it!" Fuu stated out.

"In...crea...sing...?" Issei helplessly gawked. "What's the relation between udon and girl power...?"

"Don't you know? Eating udon will increase a lady's girl power, and the culture of udon is the treasure of mankind!"

 _That's... the first time I've ever heard of it._

There was so much questionable aspects that needed to be pointed out. There were also some obvious matters that must be clarified too, but Issei shook his head in defeat, prompting to just enjoy the treat before his eyes.

Splitting the chopsticks, the middleschooler clasped his hands together, saying 'thanks for the food' with a light bow. He then pulled the bowl in a little closer and started slurping the udon first.

"Hm...?" Issei blinked. "Wow, this is good!"

"Isn't it?" Fuu grinned wide, proud and happy as her underclassman hungrily wolfed down his meal. "Eat up a lot! Today's my treat and it's a welcome party for you, my Junior!"

 _Waah... Senpai's so generous_ , Issei thought as he alternated between scooping in the broth and the udon.

Seriously, after a day of hard work, eating something delicious was the best. But for him, it was even more so when he knew that he was surrounded by high-level girls!

 _Truly, this must be heaven...!_

And so Issei enjoyed his time with the Hero Club. When the five were done eating, though, Fuu made a sound.

"Oh, yeah! I almost forgot," She paused, looking at Issei. "Before was quite sudden so once again... Welcome to Sanshu Middle School Hero Club, Junior-kun! Take care of us from now on!"

 _Eh... At this kind of timing...?_ The boy wondered what kind of sense of timing did his upperclassman have, but he shook his head mentally and considered the situation.

He wasn't meant to be here. Honestly, he thought all of this was too sudden that he couldn't stomach it all without having more time to think about it. But...

 _There's nothing wrong with hanging out with these girls, right? Heck, isn't this the chance I've been waiting for? Man up, Issei!_

"W-well...!" Issei stuttered before bowing down his head. "Uh... I'm in your care too from now on, Senpai!"

 _Hm_ , Fuu nodded, crossing her arms confidently. And once he heard the round of applause from the other club members, Issei felt that he was truly welcomed and patted his back mentally now.

 _Th-thank god I didn't screw up...! But man, that was awkward, even for me..._

The boy could only curve down a bitter smile at the way he handled communication with the opposite sex. But then he saw the upperclassman standing off her chair.

"Alright then! Let's move to the introduction... starting from me!" Fuu placed a hand on her chest. "As you can see, I am the leader in charge of the Hero Club - Inubouzaki Fuu. I'm a third-year student overflowing with girl power!"

 _Eehh... Your selling point is that...?_

Even though he somewhat expected it, listening to it every time made the appeal less and less than before. He almost wondered if there was all there is to it, yet Fuu continued on by returning to her seat and pulling in a certain fellow blonde girl right on her side.

"Next is my lovely little sister, Itsuki!" The older Inubouzaki winked. "She's a little shy and the only first-year in the club but treat her well! I'm going to beat you down if you made her cry!"

"Eh? Eeeeh..!?" So shouted the little sister in confusion. "Onee-chan, what do you mean by that!?"

"Isn't it obvious that any guy making a move on you will have to pass through me first?" Fuu replied.

"That's not the problem!" The small-like-a-small-animal girl protested.

Though saying that, her beet red cheeks and her uncomfortable expression was as if it was forced with all her might that instead of it being scary, it became super cute in Isse's eyes. But since the two sisters looked like they were in their little world, he turned his head and asked his classmate.

"Are they always like this?"

Yuuna nodded, "Mhmm! Fuu-senpai _really_ love Itsuki-chan, and Itsuki-chan also cares a lot about her sister! Don't you think it's wonderful, Senpai?"

 _Well, I can't deny that but your manner in addressing me is still baffling me..._

"Hum?" The older Inubouzaki sibling muttered. "Say, Yuuna. Haven't you forgotten that it's your turn this time?"

 _Oops_ , the redhead replied, knocking lightly her head with a smile. Tougou who was sitting right beside her chuckled alongside Itsuki, but it seemed that this often happened.

"But well, Hyoudou-san is our classmate. In fact, we have been in one class ever since the beginning of this year," Tougou said. "Though saying that, we rarely ever interacted except when there are group assignments."

"Hoh ho…?" Fuu smirked. "Then, looks like it's time for the newbie to introduce himself to us."

 _Guh…! I don't like that look you're giving me!_ Issei was already panicking in his mind but all thought processes came to a sudden halt when he realized this was yet again another chance to score a point.

"W-well, if that's the case…!" Issei pushed back his chair and stood up from it. "I'm Hyoudou Issei! I transferred here from Kuoh around New Year, and like Tougou-san said, I'm in the same class as Yuuna-chan and her! Nice to meet you all!"

 _Waah,_ the girls clapped once again, bolstering his confidence. There was something touching his heart and sending a strange shiver down his spine, but it wasn't unpleasant at all.

 _Heck, I feel so happy now! To think talking with girls a little can be_ this _joyous…!_

"Oh, oh! Then how about some more words about yourself, Junior-kun?" Fuu placed her elbow on the table and rested her chin onto the back of her hand.

"About me…?" Issei raised an eyebrow. "Ah. You mean about what I did before coming here, Senpai?"

The girl nodded twice. Issei scratched his cheek since he wasn't sure what to say now. _I don't think I have much to say and thinking back, all I did was fooling around…_

When he recalled the past, the boy just realized that there was nothing that he could be smug about and he was certain he must not brag about what he liked to do. It was one thing for him to hang out with his peers but Issei always borrowed his father's porn collections and he also liked to play eroge with him, rules and morals be damned.

Needless to say, his mother would scold both of them for hours in formal posture so Issei immediately shelved those memories and think up what other thing he could show off.

 _Eeeeeii! It's a do-or-die now! Here goes nothing!_

"I… am going to—"

Tougou interrupted, "Yes, we've heard that before so other than that, _Hyoudou-san?_ "

 _Uwaaaah…! She predicted what I wanted to say! Is she an esper!?_

Ridiculous! Yet when Issei glanced at the girl, she delivered a 'polite' smile to him. 'Polite' as in that smile did not reach her eyes at all and there was something seeping out from her body. _I-is that an aura…? Could that be the infamous murderous intention!?_

Because he felt his life was in danger should he still push on, the pervert admitted defeat and settled down. There was no other choice but to talk about his mundane life now.

"Umm… I once lived in the town of Kuoh. It's honestly just a small town with not much around." Issei began.

"Oh? Is it smaller than Sanshu?" Fuu asked.

"No? I guess not. If the two are compared, then Kuoh is bigger than Sanshu."

Probably, it had to do with how the Walls were blocking off his sight from seeing anything beyond the Seto inland sea and how the town spread out more towards the sea instead of the land. Also, it didn't seem like the population of this town was high and nothing awesome could attract many tourists to visit it.

 _Hm? Come to think of it, I haven't seen a church around here._

Though Issei was not a believer of faith, he recalled his best friend who left the town due to some family issues. It was something about his parents being incredibly busy that they had to move around a lot.

 _One thing for sure, Irina's parents were working for the local church at that time._

Come to think of it, why would they suddenly leave from the town like that? As he drowned himself in past recollection, Issei gasped in realization and immediately shook his head.

 _Ugh. Can't space out like that!_ "Well… there are there aren't much to say, really."

"Muh… That's not enough. Not enough, I'd say!" Fuu exclaimed. "Come on, spill it out already! I'm sure you have exciting spots like an amusement park or high-class foreign restaurants!"

"Guh…! Ho-how did you know!?" Issei reeled back.

"I knew it!" Fuu cried out. "Damn you mainlander! Curse you and your access to everything…!"

 _What the heck are you talking about…!?_ Issei really didn't get his senior's point but it seemed she was utterly jealous. At least her outrage didn't last long since her little sister calmed her down.

"Onee-chan, you're going to get wrinkles if you keep doing that every time."

And the president of Hero Club froze over.

"Uwoh. Itsuki-chan is harsh!" Issei muttered.

"That is her specialty, after all," Tougou heaved, smiling a little. "Still, may I ask a question, Hyoudou-san?"

Hm? Issei turned to her. It was unthinkable for Tougou to suddenly raise a question even though she said she had an aversion to perverts like Issei.

But since he was also curious about her question, he allowed her and the girl nodded, polite with overflowing elegance.

And so Tougou asked, "What made you transfer here on your last term?"

"Uh…?"

"While I would like to not pry on your affairs, it is truly difficult for someone to transfer at the last term of his first year. In fact, you caught up with the lesson fairly fast despite the short time you have spent upon transferring in," Tougou explained. "Is there a reason why you chose to go all the way here?"

 _That… is a good question._

In fact, it pointed something very important that Issei wanted to hide the most. Not because there was a tragic story or something painful to talk about, but it was because…

"About that…" Issei scratched his head for a bit before he stopped and sighed. "To tell the truth, I'm also not sure why I am here."

Huh, everyone muttered, surprised. They didn't expect his answer to be like this but Issei too couldn't say anything more than that. After all, he was dragged here because of his parents.

"Apparently, my old man promised to help his colleague when they're having a hard time in their workplace. My mom also has relatives who are currently in trouble here," Issei summarized. "As such, it's decided that I must follow them along since I can't be trusted to live by myself."

"Huh… Now that's… strange, alright?" Fuu placed two fingers on her chin. "At least that explains how you can't be sure why you're here. It's indeed kind of odd that the place your parents need to go to is in the same town."

"Coincidences do happen, sometimes, right?" Itsuki nodded down.

"Yea… It really does, huh?" Issei laughed wryly. "So, it's something like that, Tougou-san. Sorry if I didn't help satiating your curiosity. I'll try asking my parents for more details when I get back home."

"Eh?" Tougou unexpectedly muttered, as if she was surprised by something. "Errm… Ah… No, well. I was being impertinent so there is no need to go to that length…"

When the black-haired Yamato Nadeshiko fidgeted in her seat, her slightly pale skin reddened around the cheeks while she tried to form words out. Issei blinked as the girl seemed… Could it be…?

"Heh he… Don't you feel embarrassed now, Tougou?" Fuu pointed out. "Looks like your plan failed quite spectacularly."

"Mgh… So I was found out…"

 _Huh…? Plan? Failed?_ Issei wasn't sure about what the two girls talked about now. Even after tilting his head and processing the information he had, he couldn't grasp what was going on between the upperclassman and her junior.

At least it seemed that it was related to him, though he wasn't sure what to make of it.

And so Issei smiled. For now, he smiled, only enjoying the mood and being swept by the cheerful atmosphere surrounding the table.

That was enough for today.

* * *

After they were done eating and talking, the Hero Club was dismissed, but before they could see off Tougou and Yuuna who would go home by a car. Issei had to help out too as Tougou could not move her legs and despite getting extremely nervous when he carried her to the car, he succeeded.

But not before Tougou reprimanded him.

"Do. Your. Job. Properly."

 _Yes, ma'am…_

Once that was done and the car was about to leave, only Yuuna alone who have yet to get on it. The sky was red, the shadows stretched for long and yet the girl was a step away from them.

It made Yuuna as if she was shining.

And then she asked, "Say, Ise-senpai?"

"Hm?" The boy inclined his chin. "What is it, Yuuna-chan?"

"Today…" She curved down her lips into a wide smile. "It was fun! Let's work hard tomorrow as well!"

With boundless innocence and optimism, the girl waved her hand and said her farewell. The Inubouzaki siblings waved back with Issei following after.

Of course, he didn't forget to respond to the girl's words.

"Yeah! I won't lose next time!"

"Un! See you tomorrow, everyone!"

And so the car sped away. Now that the group was reduced into three people, it felt as if something important was missing. _I wonder if it's because Yuuna-chan isn't around?_

"Well, we're going back too," Fuu said. "Now that I think about it, Hyoudou…"

 _Hm?_ Issei turned to face his senior but she sighed, saying 'too bothersome' or something along that line.

"Say, can I call you Issei?" Fuu asked.

"Huh? That's alright, but what happened?" Issei replied.

"Meh. It sounds so scruffy if I call you by your surname. Besides, you're already my junior, club member _and_ a friend so why should we talk like strangers?"

 _That's… yeah, I guess that's true enough,_ Issei agreed internally. He was never a fan of being all formal either so that saved him some efforts.

"At any rate, I just want to ask you a question," Fuu moved her gaze to meet his. "Issei, what's your parents' occupations?"

 _Eh? What kind of question is that?_ The second-year looked to his junior but she too seemed to be confused as well. But well, a question was a question and it would be rude to just ignore Fuu.

"My mom's a housewife, and dad said he currently worked at his friend's company now."

"Can I ask the name of the company your father is currently working at?"

"Err… Wait a sec. Let me think for a bit…" Issei crossed his arms and hummed in deep thought. "Uh… I think it was called 'Taisha' or something."

 _Why is she asking that, anyway?_ He wasn't sure of Fuu's point but he felt cold and looked to the sea. As evening drew closer, the wind was picking up its pace.

 _Ah. There's a scent of salt. Must be from the sea. Looks like I haven't gotten used to it yet._

"Onee-chan….?" Itsuki tugged her sister's sleeve.

"Hm?" Fuu made a sound. "Ah, well! Thanks for answering! I just wanted to know!"

"Huh… Is that how it is?" Issei furrowed an eyebrow.

 _Well, I have to go back now and from the looks of it, Fuu-senpai and Itsuki-chan are going on the opposite direction._

Issei sighed in his mind. He just remembered that this wasn't some dating-sim game where the protagonist accompanied the heroine to their home. It seemed reality really _is_ different than video game and manga.

 _Besides, there's no way girls would fall for me with conversation alone. It's not like there are flags around._

"Then… see you tomorrow, senpai. Itsuki-chan too!"

"Oui! Next time, don't be late, Junior-kun!"

"See you… again, Hyoudou-senpai."

With that, Issei parted ways with the remaining club members. With twilight illuminating the road, he paced forward…

…

"Ah," Halfway from reaching home, Issei gasped. "Oh damn! I haven't exchanged numbers with everyone! No wonder I feel something is strange!"

 _Damn it! Even though it's my chance to add someone's contact other than my family's… And it's a bunch of beautiful girls too…!_

* * *

"Onee-chan… Why did you ask Hyoudou-senpai that?" On the way back to their apartment, Itsuki asked her older sister.

"Hm…? Oh. About that? Well, I guess it was just a whim." Fuu chortled. "Oh, could it be... Is my little sister curious about our newest club member?"

"N-no! That's not it, Onee-chan...!"

"So you say but your face is red, you know~?"

"Uuu...! Onee-chan, stop it...!"

 _Ugh. She diverted the topic. Onee-chan must be hiding something...!_

She had been living alone with her sister ever since their parents passed away due to an accident. It happened when the Seto Ohashi Bridge was struck by a tornado two years ago.

That day was an awfully stormy day when she heard the news. Itsuki cried days and nights and even Fuu was devastated. Even so, Fuu cheered up and comforted her, vowing that they could get through the loss of their beloved parents.

That was why, it struck her strange that Fuu was putting up an excuse. The two had never lied to each other ever since they promised each other and they always talked to each other whenever one of them was in trouble. _So why now? What's going on?_

"…Say, Itsuki?" Her Warden called out. "For example… For example, okay? What if I had a secret?"

 _Onee-chan…?_

"Um… I'm not sure what you mean…" Itsuki tilted her head.

Nodding, Fuu slowed down her bicycle. With the wide river under the bridge dyed red, Itsuki looked up at Fuu while noticing the parts of the bridge they were crossing through.

"Well, let's say I was in a Battle of Koshu-Katsunuma, and I wasn't getting reinforcements but I had to fight on with my army anyway."

"Uh…"

Fuu chuckled, "Kondo Isami."

 _Huh… Ah. Ah. I see. So Onee-chan is saying what if the situation is similar to that battle where the Shinsengumi didn't receive reinforcements and is surrounded by enemies._

It was all in traditional history class. To tell the truth, Itsuki wasn't really proficient in that though her scores in modern history, especially those related to other countries were very exceptional.

But… "Where did that come from, all of a sudden?"

"Heh he… Never mind then."

 _Eeeeh… That's unfair, Onee-chan…! T-then…!_

"I… I'd follow you no matter what."

"Huh?"

"Because…" Itsuki looked down. "You're the only family I have, Onee-chan."

 _Yes. There could be no other reason. I love Onee-chan. I want to be with her, always and always. If I can be her strength, then I will follow her no matter what and where. Because that's the only way I can repay her for all that she has done for me ever since mom and dad died…_

"…Itsuki," Fuu muttered while looking at the hanging clouds. "Thank you."

* * *

 **-Author's Note-**

Pardon for the lateness! New term is starting now so I will probably be really busy for a week or two.


	4. Chapter 4 - A Maiden's True Heart I

Morning at the Hyoudou residence was calm and peaceful.

The dining table was laid with plates of breakfast, and the sound of the rice cooker that signaled rice was ready always made Issei's mouth watery. He could tell it was his second favorite dish: grilled mackerel with hot Miso soup!

When he smelled the delicious scent of his mother's cooking, the only child of the Hyoudou couple literally leaped out from his bed, brushed his teeth and switched to his middle-school uniform. His stomach growled in agreement too so he descended down the stairs briskly, entered the vicinity of his father's sight and sat down in the seat he usually took.

"You're up early, Ise." Said his father, unfolding the newspaper placed right next to his plates. "Oh, looks like the local market is in trouble again."

 _Local market? Again?_ Issei tilted his head but he soon shrugged the thought off. He didn't have any interest in reading newspaper and it wasn't like there were illustrations of beautiful girls with majestic breasts over there. _Maybe the summer edition has it…_

Slapping his hands together, the boy thanked for the food and began digging in his breakfast. The light texture of the mackerel mixed well with the sweet flavor of rice. Once he properly chewed for twenty times, he scooped in miso soup and felt it warming down his throat to the stomach, spreading all over his body.

Issei sighed in satisfaction. _Ah, this is life_ , he thought with a light-hearted smile before switching back to eat the rice and mackerel. The process repeated several times until his parent flipped another page of newspaper.

"Come to think of it, I heard you're hanging out around the Hero Club, Ise," His father muttered. "I didn't expect you to join a club this late."

"Ugh... Don't remind me, dad." Issei crunched fishbone, grinding it down to the point that he could safely swallow it. "I was dragged to join in. I didn't even know there's an extracurricular club like that."

 _Uh-huh_ , the man replied, nodding once as he continued reading the newspapers. It made the boy to grumble but there was nothing else to it. Fortunately or unfortunately, this was usual to the father and son duo.

Hyoudou Ichiro was a former white-collar worker. His hair was cut short and tidy, had a somewhat slanted looks. In addition of the black beard sprinkled around the chin lightly, he had a broad build which was quite healthy for someone of his age.

He worked from eight to nine, sometimes receiving overtimes which caused him to rarely spend times at home. But he was, in all purpose and intent, a man who let his whims overtake his every action; just like his son.

 _Still, he's letting me do as I please more and more,_ Issei thought. _Heck, he even allowed me to buy erotic games as long as mom doesn't find out._

It might be that their interests were similar. 'Like father, like son' – some people would say but he wondered how his old man knew his liking of breasts. Thinking idly, Issei shook his head and resumed eating breakfast. That could wait for later, maybe Sunday. And yet, when his mother returned from the kitchen, she asked a question as well.

"You didn't make another trouble, right?" The woman with a combination of black and blond hair – Hyoudou Kanae dried her wet hands with a handkerchief. "I hope you are treating your new classmates well, Ise."

"I know, mom... You don't have to tell me all the time." Issei sighed, sipping his miso soup again.

"But I'm worried! You didn't even get acquainted with a girl in Kuoh!"

 _Ugh! That's a low-blow, mom!_ Issei nearly choked. Thankfully, he did not. It would be awful if he snorted in a diced leek or pepper. That would hurt like hell—!

"So when can I expect a grandchild?"

And Issei choked.

"Gwoh! Gbah! Bah...!?" The poor boy exasperated, excessive coughs escaped his mouth and snots ran down his nose. "Wh-what the hell, dad!? What the heck was that question!?"

Arching an eyebrow, the regular-time worker looked at his son's face as if something was funny. But then he replied.

"The Sanshu Middle-School Hero Club is famous for its energetic members, not to mention they're all cute girls too." The head of the Hyoudou household grinned. "So who is it? Is it that cheerful girl with red hair? Her name's Yuuki Yuuna, right? Or maybe her friend who's always seen together with her."

 _Gah! He even knew them...!_

"It's! Not! Like! That!" Issei shouted. "Or rather, how did you know, dad!?"

Ichiro smirked like a child receiving a Christmas gift from Santa Claus directly. "Well, the Yuuki family is only two blocks away from here, and the head of the house is a famous martial artist. I even got his autograph!"

 _His old man was a fan of her classmate's father!? What kind of turn of events is this!?_

Issei's jaw almost hit the floor but Kanae swiftly interrupted.

"Ise, if you don't finish your breakfast soon, you're going to be late." She reminded.

 _Whaaaat!?_

* * *

The bells rang, signaling the beginning of classes. All students of the Sanshu Municipal Middle-School filed into their own classrooms, all sort of noise beginning to subside as time went by.

"Ugh... Made it in time..."

In one particular classroom for the Second Years, Hyoudou Issei sighed, his head lying on the desk. The wooden surface was cold, truly. Rubbing his cheek to the right, he then checked out the surroundings. Though classes had started, the teacher have yet to arrive, making the students to chat between each other. Some asked if they have done their homework. Other talked about what they did yesterday, or what had happened in the television last night, or discussing their plan once classes are over.

Honestly, Issei's classmates were all lively bunch. But his concern wasn't focused in the rowdiness, or his fellow perverted friends who were in different classrooms. Fast friends they might be, Matsuda and Motohama were weirder than him, and he was someone who came from the mainland.

"Tougou-san! Hear me out! Last night, I—"

Diagonally across of him, at the other side of the classroom was a girl with noticeable red hair tied in ponytail. She was talking spiritedly with her friend, and her voice brought others to join in the conversation.

That girl was Yuuki Yuuna, Issei's classmate, club mate, and (hopefully) friend. As always, an energetic smile painted her angular face, and she had a way for words to rise the mood. But now that the Hyoudou observed keenly, she looked even more dazzling than the usual...

 _'So when can I expect a grandchild?'_

"Gah!?" Issei squeaked, immediately moving to smash his forehead against the desk.

Of course that elicited various reactions but the boy couldn't care less. Hell, he was occupying his head with random stuff to ensure he wouldn't remember what his old man had said!

"Dammit, old man...! Why did you have to say something unnecessary!?"

People would think of being acquainted with cute girls of the same age was already a blessing, but Hyoudou Issei knew his limitation. Or rather, he understood that girls would go for more attractive fellows with better conducts than him. Heck, as if there was a girl who wanted to go out with an open pervert like him! Especially a classmate who knew his behavior exceedingly well!

 _But I can't stop being myself! As if I am 'Hyoudou Issei' if I don't stay true to my heart! Ah, but my only chance to get a girlfriend might be only now…!_

In deep agony and dilemma, Issei cried out. "What the hell should I do...!?"

As he pulled his hair out of immense frustration, he no longer paid attention to the surroundings and didn't realize he was being watched. To those who had known him ever since his transfer would have ignored him. But to those who couldn't get used to it, or if they were new to the problem child's antics, it made quite a disturbing scene, particularly to the girls.

The boy was foolish in that part of him. He wasn't even aware that his usual conducts affected his schoolmates' views of him, and he made it worse by standing firm in that he didn't mind being disliked at all.

Although...

"Uhm... Ise-senpai looks like he's in a bind." Yuuna said, a drop of sweat lining down her cheek.

"Shush, Yuuna-chan. You mustn't pay attention to him." Tougou added.

* * *

Classes were finally over.

As the bells rang, once again the daily scene of students filing out of the school premise, participating in extracurricular activities or hanging out with their friends repeated. Normally, issei would have been in the third group due to his habits but now was different.

"So… back to here again, huh…?" The pervert looked up, in front of him a door leading to a certain club room.

 _I didn't even talk with Yuuna-chan or Tougou-san today,_ Issei's shoulders sank when _that_ phrase popped for the umpteenth time for today. Both the timing and situation was so poor that it ended up causing him to stutter and flee whenever he sighted his club mates. Honestly, he was appalled by himself at this point. _And this is all your fault, dad…_

Unfortunately, wasting time wasn't a wise thing to do. He remembered his junior, senior and classmates treating him well yesterday so that meant he already involved himself far too deep in. Common etiquette commanded him to not make a lady waiting so… Taking a deep breath in, Issei steeled himself and slid open the door.

"Excuse me—"

"Oh! Here comes the main actor!" A cheery voice emerged. "Catch him!"

 _Eh?_ Before he could understand what was going on, his shoulders were grabbed, his arms wrapped in tight grip of two slender arms and he was pulled into the club room.

Going past the shelves, the lockers, the rectangular table combined from four tables and the computer meant for club purposes – Issei was made to stand in front of a bookshelf encased in antiquated wooden furniture. It was pretty huge and tall, and some cardboards filled with stuff were on top of it.

But when looking to the right and left, his classmate and junior retreated. From behind, he heard rushing footsteps—

 _"_ _Tou!"_ A blonde exclaimed, stomping off the ground to land with her legs between Issei's head.

"Gwah!?" The boy shouted, surprised at the sudden increase of weight that he couldn't pay attention at all with the softness and tenderness of those legs. "S-senpai…!?"

"Sit still! It's the captain's order!"

 _Whaaaat!?_ Issei almost tried to look back but suddenly there was darkness. Why? Who turned the lights off?!

"Stand straight! Also, don't you dare move around unless I told you so!"

"Th-that's ridiculous…!" Issei whined. "Or rather, you're heavy, Senpa— _gyaaah!?_ "

His head was being crushed! What power, to bind his head in place and tying his neck with a vice grip using her legs! _But this is dangerous! It's dangerous in so many ways I can't even comment on it all!_

Just as he was about to speak again, the boy felt something ruffling his head and pressed on it. Did Fuu just grabbed his head? In his confusion, the upperclassman made weird noises and saying stuff like 'Ugh, still not there yet…!' and 'A little bit more!'. Was she in a bind…?

"There!" And then Fuu let go of his head, sighing. "Phew, I got it! Thanks for the assist, Issei – hm? Earthquake?"

"H-heavy…! I can't…!"

"What!? Are you saying I'm too heavy – w-wait, hold on…!?"

Issei's legs buckled under the sudden increase of weight, his balance crumbled and the two fell down backward. Of course, there were two screams echoing in chorus upon the chaos, courtesy to the fallen members of the Hero Club.

"Waaaaah!? Fuu-senpai!? Ise-senpai!?"

"O-Onee-chan, are you alright!?"

Clouds of dust settled. Coughs were heard, and the older Inubouzaki sat up, rubbing the back of her head. The remaining club members immediately approached her but they suddenly halted their steps.

"Owwie… That was close," Fuu said, wincing. "…Mh? What's wrong, you two?"

Something was wrong. Her sister's face was boiling red like an octopus, and Yuuna stuttered without any coherence. One thing to be noted was that Tougou wasn't around for a health check-up. Nevertheless, it was rare for her family and friend to be so stupefied.

 _Wait a minute… Where's our newest member? No, wait. Yuuna's looking down so that means…_

Fuu followed her junior's gaze and stared down to the floor. And when she did so… There was a boy sprawled there, completely unmoving _._ His limbs were spread wide and his torso was heaving inconspicuously. But the problem was where his head was located at.

It was right below…!

Fuu trembled, heat rising to her cheeks and the tip of her ears. As she began to tremble, her lips parted open and—

"G-gyaaaaaaaaaaaah!?"

And so another ruckus dawned upon the Hero Club. Unfortunately or fortunately – Issei was already knocked out cold ever since he hit his head against the floor.

* * *

"Ugh...! That was cruel, even for being a senior!" Issei protested, trudging down the hallway with his classmate.

"Maa, maa. Ise-senpai, Fuu-senpai has already apologized, right?" Yuuna smiled, her schoolbag in hand.

Yeah but still... Issei had to wonder if staying in the Hero Club was truly alright now. He did lose consciousness just by being confused of everything...

"Besides, didn't Senpai said you wouldn't dislike us? Or are you changing your mind?"

"Mrgh..." Issei grunted. "Yuuna-chan, that's a low-blow, even from you..."

"Eh he he... I'm not that great..." The redhead scratched the back of her head, bashful.

"That's not a compliment."

 _Really, this girl is full of wonder_ , Issei thought. Walking alongside her, he appreciated her presence but somehow, there was something strange with her. No, that wasn't it either.

 _I felt at ease just by being with her... I wonder why?_

The hallway was painted with orange glow. The shadows had stretched and places that had no windows were obscured in total darkness. For example, the spots connecting the hallways with the shoe lockers. But with a companion, a girl to boot, Issei's heart was encouraged and he believed he could endure all kind of hardships just to stay cool.

As the boy and the girl chatted while changing their indoor shoes, the former thought deeper. There were some similarities between Yuuna and his childhood friend. The one who left Japan for the sake of his family...

Years had gone by after his farewell with his best friend. Still Issei could remember it all as if it had happened yesterday. 'Becoming a Hero' – that was once a promise they made. A very childish dream befitting two little boys.

Issei recalled how often he got in troubles just because he tried to act as some sort of Ally of Justice. Then again, some memories were kind of embarrassing so he wouldn't want to reminisce so much. Nevertheless...

 _I guess Yuuna-chan is just that similar with Irina..._

...

He should stop. His father taught him that one must not compare a woman with somebody else, even if it was a man who he used the comparison with. Issei also believed that it would make a lot of things uncomfortable if he treated his friend like that. _That would be unfair..._

"...Ah," Issei paused. "I just thought of Yuuna-chan as a friend, huh...?"

Just as he mused quietly at the natural way his classmate's position had become, he heard his name being called. Looking forward, the red-haired girl had already went out of the school building, stepping off the shadows and entering a world of twilight.

Yuuna waved her arm. "Ise-senpai, let's hurry! The gate is going to be closed soon!"

...

There was... There was something weird. Grasping his chest, Issei's heart pounded. It was in a faster rate than the usual. Why?

Even as he caught up with her, the drumming beat didn't stop. In fact, it went faster and louder, filling his entire body with indescribable warm.

In the meanwhile, the boy talked with the girl, trying his best not to show his inner turmoil in his face. Issei thought it would be extremely embarrassing, but a part of him once again asked.

 _Why?_

"So, you see... Tougou-san is with her parents for a health check-up around this time of the month – Ise-senpai?"

"Hmm...?"

"Have you been listening at all?"

 _...Oh_ , the boy belatedly thought. His mouth hung open, but no word came out. Feeling the long stare of the girl's red eyes, he has just realized that he screwed up. Bad.

 _I was found out! What should I do!?_

"I've been wondering for a while, but did something happen, Senpai?" Yuuna paced around to face him. "If you are fine with me, I will listen to your problem."

"Uh...? H-hold on, Yuuna-chan... I don't think I have a problem—"

"Then did something happen that makes you avoiding me and Tougou-san?"

 _She notiiiiiiccceed! Now I want to die!_

Rather than a bad thing, it was the worst thing. He didn't expect Yuuna to actually observe his actions when he tried his best to be cautious and indiscreet. How could she be so perceptive?

The dumb boy couldn't understand so all he could do was to cry internally and wishing that there was a hole he could disappear into. After all...

 _I must have looked like a weirdo in all that time!_

"Please forget that! Yuuna-chan, I'll do anything you want so just forget all that!"

"E-eh...? What's wrong with you, Senpai...?"

"Please!"

Without thinking twice, he had already bowed down to the girl. In the middle of the street, even. Other people would have read the situation wrong and caused some misunderstandings but one of the party involved was—

"No way. I can't do that, Senpai."

 _Huh!?_ Issei whipped back to his default position and stared wide-eyed at Yuuna.

She said, "That's not going to solve Senpai's problem so I can't forget that. I won't let you to forget either."

"B-but...!"

"Senpai, if you have a problem, then you should talk with someone about it. That's the tenet of Hero Club."

 _Uh...?_ "T-tenet...?"

That was new to him. The boy didn't know there was something like that, but then again, he was a new member. It's normal if there were a lot of things he didn't know.

But still... Talk with someone about his problem...? The only thing he was bothered with today was...

 _'So when can I expect a grandchild?'_

"G-gaaaaah! Like hell can I consult about that kind of thing, goddammit...!"

It was with much frustration that Issei cried out, smashing his forehead against the nearest wall. It surprises Yuuna and she frantically coaxed the foolish boy to stop hurting himself.

And after much negotiation...

"Eh? Perishable?"

" _Terrible._ Something terrible. It's something my old man said."

"H-haa... And what does that relate to this?"

 _Nothing important_ , Issei replied, pressing a button to select his drink of choice. While standing in front of a vending machine at the nearest park, the two middle-schoolers decided that it was best to talk things out.

But as if Issei could divulge the entire truth. He had no inclination to distance himself from the only female friends he had. His parents would be utterly disappointed and his friends would just badmouth him if that were to happen. Even more, he himself didn't want to lose this small happiness.

 _So, tread carefully it is._

"Errm... Is your father a strict person, Senpai?" Yuuna asked while picking her own drink.

"No? Not at all, but he said weird stuff sometimes," Issei squatted down, taking out a canned carbonated juice. "So it's not a really big deal, Yuuna-chan."

"But you looked like you're in deep agony, Senpai..."

 _Eh... That was..._ Now he couldn't say anything back. Maybe he did exaggerate a little too much but did he look like he was suffering that much?

He learned a new thing today... Or rather, the last several days earned him quite a few interesting experiences. _I wonder if I should be happy or not?_

"...Well, like I said, it's not a huge deal," Issei opened the can, taking a sip of the juice. "Still, thank you very much for your concern, Yuuna-chan."

"Mhm! I'm glad I can be of some help!"

The girl pumped her fist upward, saying 'all's well that ends well!' with much spirits. Seeing Yuuna doing that every time didn't tire him out, so he curved down his lips in amusement.

Then a thought crossed his head.

"Say, Yuuna-chan?" Issei called out.

The redhead replied with a curious hum. Knowing he successfully drew her attention, he gazed at her.

"Why are you calling me 'senpai'?"

Issei had been thinking about it. He was a stranger in this region, and he barely knew of the local events or specialties. From a native perspective, he should be someone that might have different views than them.

What's more, Issei and Yuuna were classmates, but the fact didn't change that they were simply that. Mere acquaintances with shallow bond.

Just like how the boy didn't know what kind of club the girl was in, she too probably didn't know what kind of thing he usually did, his habits or favorite stuff, or even his dream and aspiration. It was why he was weirded out when Yuuna addressed him in a respectful manner from day one.

"We-well... That is..."

For the first time, there were clouds of hesitation hovering above Yuuki Yuuna's head. It was more than surprising, because Issei had never seen her to stumble over words.

"Yuuna… chan…?"

The boy approached her. Worry washing over him, he stretched out a hand, and—

 _Mechanical chimes reverberated._

"H-huh?!" Yuuna gasped, quickly looking around and then down to her back. "M-my cellphone? But what's this ringtone…?"

The sound echoed again. It was like an alarm, blaring with uncomfortable repeating rhythm. It easily reached Issei's ears, but the effect was more than he could expect.

 _Thump…_ Something pounded against his chest, threatening his mind with its echo.

"Eh…? Did I change the wallpaper…? Something's written on it…"

 _Thump…_ His ears picked up different noise, and his spine shuddered. No, wrong. This sensation was closer to his entire cells within his body freezing deathly cold. An alien sensation he had never experienced before, but _somehow_ could be understood.

"'Forestize… Warning…?'"

Following those words, the sunset dyeing the western horizon sky blacked out.

It was the boy who had seen the starless sky.

It was the girl who realized there soundless world.

As sudden tremors ran across the quiet seaside town, light basked everything from the horizon, enveloping all with a storm of flower petals.

* * *

 **-Author's Note-**

My. I'm such a tease, sometimes. But my real reason is that the chapter bloated up beyond recognition that I have to split it up or else it will be problematic. In various ways, that is.


	5. Chapter 5 - A Maiden's True Heart II

**Pardon me for the lateness. Had a writer block in choosing either skirting canon event or make my own take of the entire event.**

* * *

"Why is this happening now…?"

The first thought Inubouzaki Fuu had was that. Surprise, terror and fear latched on her figure while unblemished anger began to boil her blood. It was understandable though. Deep down, she knew that this day would arrive. _But I I wished this day would never have arrived._

"O-Onee-chan…"

Fuu stilled, but she refused to break down. She didn't want to meet her sister's gaze. Her last remaining family was dragged in this mess because of her. It was all her faults now. _There's no turning back…_

"Itsuki…" The elder Inubouzaki sibling called out. "It's… _It's okay._ Onee-chan is here with you."

She held her sister's body tight, holding her trembling hands. This was the first time they were enveloped by the Shinju's divine barrier. The sea of trees surrounding them was an alternate realm existing between time and space, an artificial dimension meant to contain the upcoming battle's damage. It was also meant to protect those not in the know of the truth from panic.

 _Only the chosen children with potentials to be Heroes could be here. Even then, they must possess a terminal or some other means to move within Shinju-sama's barrier._

In other words – currently, only the Hero Club who were given with the Hero Terminals could move and fight their enemy. Fuu understood that her role had changed and that she must uphold her true duty, but…

 _There's no way… No way can I bear this burden for long._

She regretted it. Fuu regretted keeping this secret from her friends. But there was nothing else she could do now. Everything has happened. They were chosen, and they must fight against the Enemy who intended to kill the world. They – those monsters who killed her parents and destroyed the Inubouzaki's ordinary happiness.

 _…I must do this. I am the leader of Hero Club. I have to endure this. At the very least, if I can make sure everyone's alive, then…!_

"…Itsuki. Hey, Itsuki." Fuu shook her sister's shoulders.

The quiet and shy girl was sobbing uncontrollably. Her adorable face was in such a mess that Fuu could sense her heart being wrenched open. It hurt. It was painful, so much so that she wanted to punch herself for being the culprit responsible in making her loved one sad. And yet the girl swallowed her emotions and cupped her sister's face by the cheeks.

Their green eyes reflected each other. Fuu took a deep breath in, her mind finally decided.

"Onee…chan…?"

 _Listen._

"This is very important, so please listen to me for now, Itsuki."

* * *

Hyoudou Issei didn't know what to say.

The sky had lost brilliance. Could it be night has arrived? No, it couldn't be. That would be too fast and there were no stars illuminating the sky. Unlike the usual thing powdered with shining pebbles and shades given by the moonlight, this version of the sky had nothing other than pitch-black color. How could that be? It didn't make sense!

"What is... this...?"

Then he heard someone's voice. A familiar voice of a friend. It was different than the usual, prompting Issei to look at the red-haired girl. But soon he exasperated, understanding what Yuuna meant.

Surrounding them was the surface of ground. But it didn't look like one when it was colored dominantly with pink, white, and other spectrum of color. Slowly he traced the distance with his eyes, only to find more shocking facts around them. There was no such thing as buildings or trees. The boy couldn't even see any clue that hinted them of anything that they knew.

Here, only the strange ground stretching as far as he could see that existed, with something like gigantic pipes arching over the sky and crawling on earth. Issei realized that those strange things were strewn about everywhere, making an incredibly over-the-top, surreal impression which almost shattered his rationality into pieces.

 _What the hell is this? Where are we? What's going on?!_

The boy truly didn't understand! His life was normal and cozy up until the weird alarm rang but now that he looked back, all sounds excepting his voice and Yuuna's vanished as if the world had removed one of its vital element, and bright white light consumed all that he knew of. This worried the boy greatly, as much as he wanted to think otherwise.

What about his other classmates? What about the rest of the Hero Club? What about the neighbors he always encountered when he left to school? The teachers? The people from the shopping district he frequented to? What about his mom who was staying at home? What about his dad who was probably on the way home after working his bones off at his office…?!

 _"Ahwah!?"_

"Wargh!? Y-Yuuna-chan, what's…"

When Issei pulled himself back to reality, it turned out Yuuna was fumbling with her phone ringing and vibrating. There was a ringtone buzzing and though it didn't sound like the ominous one from before, it was still a shocking discovery. _What, her phone is working?_

In a hurry he pulled out his own smartphone but soon he deflated. The battery was dead…

"Huh? Wait a minute, I didn't use this much so why is it dead?" Issei narrowed his gaze and pressed the power button for a while. "…Dammit! What's going on here—"

"Tougou-san?! Eh, you're seeing the same thing too!? Wa-wait! Where are you, Tougou-san? Tougou-san!?"

There was a sound as if two cables were disconnected abruptly. Issei met Yuuna's gaze, concern and fear written all-over her face. She briefly glanced at her smartphone before saying that the communication was cut – and suddenly the ground shook.

The two teenagers yelped, falling to the ground. They immediately recovered but then they heard a faint whining noise. It was something the two did not know of, but Issei with his gaming knowledge remembered only one thing from this particular sound.

 _Military bombing…!?_

His guess was proven as an explosion occurred nearby and blew the two away. Yuuna screamed, Issei rolling over and enveloped by clouds of dust and warm winds.

"Ow… What… What was…"

He couldn't finish his words. The moment he got up and looked at the source of the explosion, his eyes were met with a large crater. Smokes piled up and dissipated alongside the winds, but beyond it all was something that he never knew nor wanted to know.

"What… is… that…?" Yuuna's question resounded in his mind.

The two saw ragged cloth flapping despite there being no wind blowing. Then they saw a gigantic construct moving while defying gravity. Emerging from the mazes of roots was something resembling living creature, and yet it didn't match any kind of animal they had seen be it in the books or in the television. It didn't have wings to fly, it didn't have any leg to stand on the grounds, and it had no such thing as eyes, mouth, ears, or even furs.

The thing was an impossibility. It went against the laws of nature in so many aspects that it took everything Issei got to protect his sanity once he saw it. The thing – the monster he could believe coming out only from comic books and anime approached them, and the lower part of the being expanded before bursting out light.

"What the fu—"

An object fell in front of them, blooming as terrible explosion that sent the two children away. Debris flew, screams faded as fast they rose, and two bodies hit the hard ground. Issei coughed out air but the moment he got up, his vision trembled and his ears were filled with ringing noise. It was hard to see anything but soon he remembered the scream of his classmate when he traveled in midair.

"Yuuna-chan!" He looked around, finding the girl lying down nearby. "Yuuna-chan!? Yuuna-chan!"

When there was no response, Issei quickly turned her over. His heart almost stopped beating but he noticed Yuuna's chest heaving and a pained groan slipped off her mouth. _She's still alive…!_

But there was no time to celebrate. It didn't take the boy a minute to carry his friend away when he heard the familiar whining sound approaching. He hoisted her in princess carry and stormed off like mad. Right after he ran fifty meters away from their previous spot, another bomb landed and exploded. Hot winds touched his back, his entire body screaming to flee and the boy obeyed his instinct like a wild animal escaping from its natural predator.

But as if the monster could see through all the roots blocking its ways, ceaseless bombardment trailed close behind him. There was no stopping it. _Why!? What the hell's going on!? Why is it targeting us!?_

"Sen…pai…?"

It was then that Yuuna returned back to consciousness. Hearing her voice brought Issei to a halt because of immense relief surging from the depth of his heart. But exactly because of that that he stopped paying attention to his surroundings.

A whining sound arrived, piercing into his eardrums. He gazed up, seeing a giant mass falling onto them—

 _"Don't stop moving!"_

Yellow blur slashed down out of nowhere. It cut through the bomb and it exploded in midair. Issei held Yuuna to his chest, covering her with his back turned while the girl shrieed due to their proximity with the bomb. But they were unhurt. They were still breathing, so they opened their eyes...

"Made it in time," so a stranger said, braided light blond hair waving in two waving motions. "Sorry there. Are you two alright? Issei, Yuuna?"

"That voice…" Issei blinked, catching a giant sword hoisted singlehandedly by a girl he considered as his senior and club leader. "F-Fuu-senpai…?!"

The two gaped. Even as the girl smiled sadly at them, their attentions were fully drawn by her strange appearance. The usually carefree senior donned a yellow dress accented with green. It had practical designs but the color scheme of white, yellow and green, together with the style of clothing that didn't match modern fashion surprised them. What's more, Fuu's hair color was significantly different, all with the brighter yellow color instead of the regular blond.

Everything about the current her perplexed the two second-years so much they lost the chance to speak.

And as if she noticed, Fuu tilted her head, shouldering the greatsword over her right shoulder. The bitter smile she had grew and threatened to break Issei's heart. _W…what is that expression…?_

"…Fuu..senpai…?"

Inadvertently, he called out to her. Even so, beyond her, the giant beast moved its tail and leveled it upward. There was a booming sound, and a lump of mass the size of curled up adult human soared. It was attacking again, and the parabolic trajectory told the boy as easily as flipping a hand over.

"Fuu-senpai—!"

It was then Fuu's lips morphed a wide smirk. She spun on her heels, widened her legs and swung her greatsword in full swing. There was a sound of clinking, a blue furball suddenly appearing next to her before scattering into yellow flower petals, and the giant sword suddenly expanded in size. The enormous blade struck the lump and it burst into clouds of flames and smokes.

"Whoa…?!" Both Issei and Yuuna exclaimed.

But as soon as they expressed their surprise, Fuu's sword returned back to normal size and she faced them again. She stepped forward but it took her all the way to reach and grab Issei's shoulder. _Eh!?_

"We're retreating, you two!"

"Fuu-senpa – _dowaaaaaaahhh!?_ "

His scream fading into nothingness, all Issei remembered was his feet leaving the ground, the winds hitting hard on his back and Yuuna clinging to him like a koala. _What the hell…!?_

"Oof!?" And then the ground exceedingly went close.

 _Way too close!_ Issei almost kissed the ground in fact, and that meant his chance for a first kiss with a bodacious beauty almost disappeared forever. He was granted mercy from a disastrous end!

"Don't you dare loosen your grips, Issei!"

His jaw clenched, and his body rocketed once again to the sky. The boy's eyes nearly rolled to the back of his skull but his goddamned curiosity forced him to check on the surroundings. Much to his surprise, Fuu was swinging her giant sword, a blue furball floating next to her head to destroy the explosive giant lumps. Then when she landed on another arching platform, Issei's consciousness shook and his collar was finally released from the torture.

"Eep!?" Needless to say, Yuuna's whine explained how awful the sudden release resulted on her wellbeing. Rubbing her behind, the girl raised her chin. "Owwie… A-are we safe…?"

"Not yet," Fuu's humorless response mercilessly destroyed the budding relief. "The Vertex is moving slowly thanks to the Jukai, but it will only be a matter of time for it to recalculate and fire those round bombs again."

 _What,_ Issei's train of thought halted. He blinked, looking at his upperclassman only to find she was dead serious about this all. _Vertex… Jukai…?_

"Senpai… What do you mean by 'Vertex'…? Is that the name of the monster…?" Issei asked, somewhat uncertain.

The girl with blond hair ahead of him didn't give him an answer. It somehow nagged him, as the entire situation didn't make any sense at all. What was happening? Why did this happen to them? Questions escalated in his mind and before he knew it, a whisper from behind his back said.

"…Fuu-senpai, do you know something…?"

It was then that Fuu turned her head, meeting Issei's brown eyes with her light green eyes before glancing to Yuuna's red eyes. Through the windows of the soul, Issei noticed the dimming light and various emotions rocking against each other. To tell the truth, he didn't quite know what kind of emotion his senior had but he knew. He just understood that the girl was upset.

So he followed Yuuna's words and stood up, looking beyond his senior; gazing at the place that weird thing was at.

"…That thing is a Vertex, Issei. An enemy that we must defeat." Fuu suddenly explained.

He turned to face her again. "Enemy…?"

Fuu nodded. Turning around, the three middle-schoolers observed the movement of the floating monster now known as Vertex. The thing was phasing through the labyrinth of roots, its speed was terrible but it had a worrisome sense of direction. Anyone could see it taking the best route to close the distance between it and them.

"Vertex came from beyond the walls. They are the Enemy intending to 'kill' the world."

 _From beyond the walls? Kill the world…?_

"Fuu-senpai, what do you mean by that…?"

Responding to Issei's question, she raised her gaze and pointed towards him. No, wrong. She was pointing at something far behind Issei and Yuuna, so the two followed her direction… and they saw unblemished light. Far reaching and encompassing a corner of the jet-black sky, a silhouette of a coral tree could be seen. There were no leaves. Only thick branches with vague color could be identified from the tree, but Issei instinctively understood.

 _That's… not an ordinary tree. It's bigger than Tokyo tower. It's probably even bigger than anything I could ever imagine. It's…!_

"That is Shinju-sama," Fuu stated. "The Vertex's objective is to reach there and destroy Shinju-sama who's the main pillar of this world. The world will be destroyed when Shinju-sama died."

 _…The world… will end…?_

"You… You're kidding right…?" The brown-head trembled as realization dawned upon him. "H-how are we supposed to fight that… _that thing….?_ "

He gasped when he recalled Fuu's strange clothes and her strength. She singlehandedly sliced the kaiju-like beast's bombs, and she jumped over a hundred meters with one step. _Could it be…!?_

"That's right," the President of Hero Club said, acknowledging Issei's doubt. "My team – the Sanshuu middle-school's Hero Club has been chosen to fight the Vertexes. We are the Heroes burdened with the duty to protect the world."

"Heroes…?" Yuuna processed the word.

"Right," Fuu called out. "Yuuna, in the terminal I gave you, there's a feature that can give you power provided you have the will to fight."

 _Us…? Chosen…? By who? Fighting monsters? Protecting the world? Heroes…?!_

"I… I don't get it! What do you mean by that!? Why do we have to fight!?" Issei yelled. "Heck, why are we even chosen!? Can't someone do it too? What about the military!?"

He just couldn't understand. Issei's life was nothing but normal. He woke up in the morning, ate breakfast together with his parents and lived his life as a student, fooling around with his friends and worrying about getting a girlfriend or two. To suddenly be told to do something big like this was…! It was too much to swallow!

"…I'm sorry." But Fuu's answer betrayed the boy's expectations. "To tell the truth, I never wanted to explain this until we become 'it'. What's more, I never thought you would be dragged into this too, Issei."

 _What,_ Issei thought. Only that word and that question resounded in his tangled mind. He was already overwhelmed by this all. The explanation he was told by didn't make any sense too. And yet, Fuu said that he too wasn't supposed to be here? _What kind of explanation is that—_

"Fuu-senpai…" Yuuna called out, drawing the two's attentions to her. "You have been keeping this a secret for our sake, right…?"

Issei stilled. Fuu widened her eyes. The girl's hands trembled while clutching her phone, and yet her lips stopped quivering and formed a smile. A fragile smile, shadowed by fear and yet burning with courage.

"It's okay," Yuuna said. "That… That goes in accordance to the Hero Club's Five Tenets, right? I'm sure you have reasons why you couldn't say that to us. That's why… That's exactly why it's not your fault, Senpai!"

Issei… No, he and Fuu were stunned speechless by the girl's words. That boundless confidence and reassurance stabbed deep into their conscience, creating ribbons of thoughts more and more. While Fuu widened her eyes, Issei clenched his hands and teeth, guilt and shames growing in his heart.

He didn't have faith in someone, even on his friend at this kind of timing. He soon realized that everyone was burdened with problems, and yet he tried to prioritize himself. He _dared_ to do something that obviously went against his own codes. How could this be?

And yet – his inner conflict was washed away as he heard explosions from faraway.

"That direction…" Fuu gasped. "It can't be! It noticed Tougou and Itsuki!?"

 _The others are also here!?_ Issei witnessed Fuu changing expression into anger and she dragged her giant sword. She gave a sidelong glance, meeting his and Yuuna's gazes then shouted.

"Yuuna! The smartphone's features also have a map and you can go regroup with the others!"

"Wh-what about Senpai!? What are you going to—"

"I'll go distract the Vertex! Just hurry up and go!"

Ignoring the two, Fuu jumped and soared through the dark sky, approaching the vertex that began firing somewhere veiled with numerous tree roots. It wasn't long before the monster twisted its body, seeming and fired its arsenals on something.

In other words, Fuu had started fighting once again.

"Fuu-senpai…" Issei stared, not knowing what to do until he noticed a movement. "…Yuuna-chan…?"

The red-haired girl with ponytail was staring at her phone. From the distance, he could see her sliding her finger on her smartphone's screen that displayed names, colorful dots, and… _is that a GPS map?_

"Ise-senpai," She called out. "I… I'm going to help Fuu-senpai. Can I ask you to go to where Tougou-san and Itsuki-chan are at? They're right over there, the place layered with the thickest tree roots."

"Huh…?"

"There's no way I will ever leave my friends behind," Yuuna said, wiping her eyes with her sleeve. "If I did that, then…"

Facing the boy, a smile bloomed on her face.

"I'm not a Hero at all!"

Before he could yell out her name, the girl pressed her finger on a feature of her phone. White and pink light surged out from the screen alongside a storm of flower petals. The name 'cherry blossom' flashed in his mind, and he glimpsed a white round object – a deformed cow appearing by Yuuna's side. It dissolved into flower petals, and light blinded his vision.

Within an instance the light faded and the ends of a white long coat fluttered into view. Greaves and gauntlets moving while a long pink hair danced in the winds. There, Issei caught a white flower clip in addition of an enlarged hairclip; her brown eyes lingering on him.

"Senpai, about the thing in the park…" Yuuna shook her head. "After this is over, let's continue about it again, okay?"

"…Yuuna—"

The girl jumped and fell from his reach, all in one second. Her figure growing smaller in the distance, but as he watched, Issei clamped his mouth shut. There was no use. Yuuna had left and now there was nobody to rely on. No one, no nothing. Just… him.

Issei swallowed his saliva, sweats trickling down his cheeks.

"…God…dammit!"

In an instance he raised his right hand, forming a knuckle and struck his own cheek at full force. He faltered, teetering as red of lifeblood dripped down. The boy grunted as burning heat spread across his face and his cheeks throbbed. _Fuck, must have ripped something!_

"But…!"

His eyes cleared up and his legs brought him into a full-tilt dash down the arching root. As if burning every calorie of his body he sprinted, not even giving a damn about his surroundings.

The boy didn't know exactly where he was going. He just let himself be guided by his body, making himself as a mere passenger in the train. He went through obstacles with haste even as he stumbled and crashed down. Restraining himself from roaring like a madman, he charged forward. Thoughts swirled, but he discarded all of them. Because…

Like hell would Hyoudou Issei abandon his friends...!

But this wasn't enough. it would take forever if he just ran. He had friends to help! There was no time dilly-dallying! He must be faster, stronger, more powerful than this. Accelerate! Run faster, Issei! _FASTER!_

 _"B— o_ _ _—st_!"_

Did the wind say something? No, of course it did. It was blocking him, denying him of access together with the thick tree root serving as the wall. But like he'd give a damn!

"Gh...! oooooOOOOOOOHHH!"

Issei reached up and clawed on the wall. He jumped as high as he could, his fingernails digging and breaking as he climbed the gigantic structure, pushing himself upward in a large margin. Once he was on top of it, the boy threw his weight forward.

There was an impact, his feet smashed onto the ground. The boy immediately buckled. His legs stung as if trapped in ice cubes, and nearly Issei screamed because _fuck that hurt like hell!_

But he had no time to spare! Now where should he go _—_

"Issei-senpai!"

 _Huh!?_ Quickly Issei skidded to a halt and only then he realized that he had forgotten to breathe. The darkness and black dots surrounding his sight vanished, and overwhelming-but-invisible weight fell onto him. He wheezed, his legs wobbling as the right hand pressing on his knee trembled. _Why? What's going on...?  
_  
He wanted to rest. His body screamed in pain as if burned from the inside-out while being frozen by a blizzard. The mix of two contrasting sensations nauseated him, saliva slipping down his lips but then he saw two shadows up ahead of him. Sounds quickly followed, and his brain identified them as his names shouted over and over.

Ahead of the boy was... it was them. The last two members of the Hero Club.

Tougou was there, her pale skin seemed even whiter than the usual. Beside her was Itsuki, the blonde junior waving a hand to him. Issei smiled in relief as he found the two at last—

"ISSEI-SAN GET AWAY FROM THERE!"

But before he could process the words flying out of Tougou's mouth, a familiar whining noise blasted his hearing. He looked to the side, meeting a giant lump of mass face-to-face.

Immeasurable force squashed into his torso before infernal heat exploded. Shrapnel scattered like dozens of knifes thrown at high speed. Air vaporized, earth crumbled, noise vanished...

And then there was cold darkness.


	6. Chapter 6 - A Maiden's True Heart III

Hyoudou Issei opened his eyes to jet-black world. He blinked, not sure of what was happening and he looked around, finding nothing but utter darkness. He was about to speak something when his feet flailed and he shrieked. There was no ground!

"Wah!? Ah-Ah- _Aaaaaaaaaaahhh!?_ "

The boy pitifully waved his entire limbs but much to his surprise, he realized that he was floating. How was that possible? This made no sense at all! Where was he? Why was he here? What the hell just happen—

 _"Be silent, brat. Your voice is tearing my ears."_

 _What!?_ Issei blinked and then saw something looming before him. His eyes identified the gigantic form of a beast with four limbs, its arms strong and thick like hundreds years old trees. Razor sharp claws extended from those limbs and pure red jagged scales ran over the beast's entire body.

Issei was certain that if one of claws were to slide down upon him, he would have been sliced in two like a hot knife cutting butter. The creature was a dreadful thing that drained the blood off his entire body yet he couldn't stop searching for words to describe it.

There was an elongated neck. Then there was a row of fangs reaching up to the beast's ears, forming a nightmarish jawlines. The shape of the head reminded him of crocodile at first but he noticed a long horn lining up to its forehead. Issei winced as the thought of the horn tearing through his body flashed through his head. Worse, the thing's blood red eyes looked down upon him, overwhelming Issei that his body shuddered uncontrollably.

" _What..._ What...! What are you...!?" Issei backed away only to realize that there was no sense of balance.

He couldn't escape. It didn't look like he could move in this dark world where the grounds did not exist. It was almost like he was somewhere in space if not underwater but his focus was drawn on something else completely. When the beast expressed sounds as if it was laughing, he somehow felt a sense of familiarity with it. Not only that, the creature's appearance told him what it was, and his thoughts pooled around one word...

 _Dragon._

Yes. The thing was a dragon. It was a beast that only appeared in fairytale, comic books and fantasy-themed movies. He recognized that he was right when the thing opened its jaws.

"Took you a while to deduce my origin." _It spoke!?_ "But well, it doesn't matter now, since you're already halfway to afterlife."

 _...Huh? What did it just say...?_

"I... I'm dead...?" Issei gaped, his mind processing only blank white.

"Not quite, but you're going to die soon," The dragon replied. "Despite having awakened me, you have shitty luck, brat."

"W, What the hell...?"

 _How could that be?_ Issei didn't remember he was dying! All he remembered was... It was the quiet dark world he was transported to, the monster trying to kill him and his friend, and his senior who saved them before dropping the info that they must fight to protect the world.

That... That didn't make sense at all, now that Issei thought about it. Was he dreaming then? Was all that just a dream? But then, why was he dyin— _oh._

"Have you remembered now? You were hit with a bomb by that disgusting entity," the dragon snorted. "A lame end for a pathetic existence like you. I guess you'd be the first host to go out in a matter of minutes after awakening me, though."

"N-No way..."

"It's the truth. You can even see your Grim Reaper wading its way to you."

 _What!?_ When the Dragon lifted its chin, Issei thought it was indicating him to look behind him. But the last time he did that, there was... There was something behind him, and his blood ran cold upon seeing it.

The thing held no proper figure. It had massive size and ridiculous shape. Monstrous, just like the magma red dragon, but Issei believed this one was more hideous, malicious, and… _empty._ What did that mean? He didn't know but one thing the boy knew was—

"Why...! Why is that thing here!?" Issei almost screamed as the thing, the Vertex was slowly approaching him.

Facing his back, the red dragon snorted.

"It's going to reap your soul. That abominable entity was created specifically to harvest human souls, and it can easily intrude any Magician's barriers. You're lucky the smaller strains aren't here because they devour you humans _raw_ , body first and then soul." It stilled. "Ah. It's also ordered to kill that thing you call "Shinju" huh? You are in a serious problem, brat."

"Stop making it as if it's someone else's problems! Also, what do you mean by that!?" Issei yelled, flailing his way so as to stay away from the approaching Vertex. "Can you just explain what the hell is going on here!?"

He wished this was all a dream. No, he was told he was going to die so he might be in a comatose. Did that mean he was dying? Maybe critically injured? Wasn't it the same thing, then!? He never asked getting hit when he was dead tired from searching his friends, dammit!

"Simply put, you and those that you've met there have been selected as sacrifices."

 _…Huh? Did… Did I just hear something worse than I expected at first?_

"Sacrifices...?" Issei mumbled, his skin crawling once the word began to reel in unimaginable possibilities.

The dragon heaved out a sigh, raised its left forearm and pointed with one of the three claws. Issei's teeth chattered at a similar rate to a working woodpecker.

"Even if I explained, it's not going to get through to your head," the great beast grunted through its nose. "There is no time left, anyway. With this, I will bid you farewell, my partner."

 _What!? No no no, this couldn't be happening!_ Why did it have to end like this again? Why was the dragon fading away into the darkness while the twisted monster behind him grew closer to him?

Issei was absolutely certain everyone was messing with him now and the rollercoaster he cursed as life didn't stop at all; no, it did _worse_ by kicking him in the groins with zero clue whatsoever which also made him look like some butt to the history's most terrible joke ever.

 _I… I…! I've had ENOUGH of all this! bullshit!_

"YOU USELESS OVERGROWN LIZARD! STOP RIGHT THERE!"

The darkness almost returned back to normal. The dragon's silhouette couldn't even be captured properly too at this point, but Issei's wrathful roar almost as if it had stopped time in this place and rewinding it back in fast forward.

Except his brown gaze was met with petrifying blood red glare just several feet away.

 _"You dare to insult me? Me, an incarnation of power revered as one of the Two Heavenly Dragons?"_ The magical beast narrowed it's gaze, awakening streams of cold sweats on the boy's back. _"You've got a death wish, shitty brat—"_

"Bite. My. Ass." Issei cut in, cracking his fists as he mimicked the dragon's glare. "Fuck if I care about saying whatever I want. You're big and you have wings, probably can breathe out fireballs the size of my house and do a lot of other scary things… _but like I give a damn thing about that all!_ "

His own death was fast approaching. That was frightening, alright, but that didn't matter. There was something he heard that couldn't escape from his chaotic headspace, something important. But it wasn't a good thing at all so he got irritated, frustrated, and then infuriated by his slow-as-nail brain which couldn't get anything done right even _once_. What pissed Hyoudou Issei even more was...

"Oy. Is it true that the girls are sacrifices as well?" Issei asked, leveling a glare.

"And what if it's the truth?" The dragon replied. "What can you do now that you are on you deathbed?"

The monster popping straight out from fairytale inclined its long neck, returning back to its previous posture; standing tall and menacing as if going against even the wide heaven. That made him look infinitely majestic if not nightmarish in Issei's eyes, but a small tap into his memory lane easily brought his awareness back to the situation on hands.

He had nothing to do, his body at the verge of death and probably rendered useless. He might be in a comatose state too considering this ridiculous scene he was in. _So, really, what could this powerless idiot could do? What can I even do?_

"...Simple," the boy said, inclining his head. "You didn't appear before me just because you want to laugh at my death, right? Fess up. You've got a way for me... No, for _us_ to get out of this shithole, right?"

A brief pause prevailed… Then a roaring laughter shook the world.

"So you can at least deduce that much!" The dragon grunted, amused. "That's right. I've just woken up so there is no way am I going to lie down and sleep so soon. Not in this kind of pathetic manner and by the hand of that pathetic _harvesting tool._ I know you're thinking the same, brat."

"So you've been testing me all along?" Issei quirked an eyebrow.

"No. I'm making fun of you," it rolled its eyes. "Half of it, anyway. I needed to know how strong your conviction is."

 _Huh, so this guy can make a joke too_ , Issei commented in his mind. That was unexpected, but he was no longer surprised. He had a sense of strong familiarity with the being before him. It was dreadful in appearance, yes. It had an annoying laughter, yes. It looked down on him like some ancient all powerful bastard staring at an ant, yes.

But the more he interacted with it... no, _him_ , the more he understood that the dragon had long been by his side, probably ever since he was born. And hey, he wasn't eaten when he insulted the guy so that meant something, right?

 _Besides… this means Yuuna-chan and the others are in danger. Even if I can't do anything, I can still throw my body in to protect them._

"What can I do?" Issei asked, his short question implying to cut straight to the chase. "What am I supposed to do now?"

The red dragon smirked, flashing a row of sharp fangs.

* * *

Yuuna heard a faint scream.

She didn't mistake it. As her red eyes flung to see what was going on, she caught gathering clouds somewhere close to the place her best friend was. She just reached the battlefield and was about to aid Fuu when she heard the scream.

"Tougou-san!?" Yuuna gasped, frightened surprise evident in her voice. "Fuu-senpai, what happened!?"

Down below an arching root she was standing on, Fuu flitted in midair, avoiding a barrage of bombs. Her great sword dragged along the ground before the blonde flew up and landed on the edge of a cliff.

"I don't know! I'm sure that didn't hit where they're sheltered in!" She shouted. "Yuuna, check your terminal! There's a radar there! Focus on making it to appear!"

Yuuna fumbled with words but her eyes caught the lumps of mass flying toward her. She jumped off the way, dodging the attack and ascending to the sky before her momentum vanished and gravity pulled her down. _The Vertex...! It's right below!_

"Chance!" Yuuna cocked her right arm, the armored gauntlet letting out a distinct sound. " _Heeerroo...! PUUUUNCHHHH!_ "

Flower petals scattered from the emblem on the back of her right fist, a figure of a round white being appearing and dissolving into the winds as similar petals. Yuuna's fist shot down and a huge chunk of Vertex shuddered before exploding into tiny bits.

"I did it!?" The girl with long pink ponytail landed and looked up. "...N-no way...! It's regenerating!?"

The monster reflected in her wide eyes was indeed regenerating. In seconds the damage it had received was being restored and the Vertex turned, its tail rapidly growing in size.

"Yuuna, get away!" Fuu shouted.

Yuuna did so. She leaped to the side, and explosion of heat and force pushed her from the back. She stumbled forward, yelping but she quickly regained her balance, facing the Enemy Intending to Kill the World.

"Fuu-senpai, how can we defeat it!? Isn't there some way!?"

"Damage it enough to immobilize it and we're going to proceed with the Sealing Ritual"

 _Sealing Ritual?_ Yuuna didn't know what that meant but questions could be for later! For now, she busied herself as a distraction, jumping and running away from the bombs spewing by the Vertex's tail. Meanwhile, her senior ran along a bent root and jumped towards the enemy.

 _Huh_ , Yuuna blinked. _Why is there a round blue dog floating next to Fuu-senpai—_

"Eh? Ah, uwaah!?" Yuuna tangled herself and fell flat.

Several bombs flying toward her missed due to that small accident and exploded after going far enough from the intended target. Yuuna got up, beginning to run again as she witnessed a gigantic blade cutting the Vertex diagonally.

"How about this!?" Fuu yelled, her great sword shrinking back to default size before fading into yellow flower petals. "Yuuna, come here! We're going to start the Sealing... No way, it's still moving!?"

The Vertex was moving despite having its upper body sliced off. It didn't even lose speed or regeneration rate as it fled from the two Heroes' presence. What kind of monster was that? Yuuna shuddered at the thought of the enemy being indestructible.

But where was it going? Yuuna frowned before she noticed the still-apparent smokes in the distance. _It's going to...!_

"It's targeting Itsuki and the others again!? We're going after it—"

"I'm going ahead, Fuu-senpai!"

With the current her, Yuuna could still make it. She wasn't sure what her role was in all this but she knew that fighting while protecting someone was harder than it sounded like. She couldn't waste the time! She must focus on her legs and jump as hard as she could—

"Huh?" Yuuna heard a sound, grabbed the source by reflex and found her cellphone shaking in her hand. "A call at this moment?"

But it was from Itsuki, and she was reminded of the horrific scream from earlier. Yuuna immediately pressed the answer button.

"Itsuki-chan? Itsuki-chan!?" Yuuna began. "What's wrong—"

 _"Yuuna-san...! Please help...!"_

Huh?

"What's going on, Itsuki-chan!?" Yuuna glanced, witnessed the ground closing in and landed. "What's wrong!? Why are you crying?!"

She was close now. Looking back, the Vertex somehow ignored her presence despite being in the way and simply moved on. It would take three minutes for it to reach the place Tougou and the others were at so she turned around.

"No, please go away from there and hide! Itsuki-chan, Tougou-san, I—"

Yuuna didn't finish her words. She couldn't, actually, as she recalled the flickers of smoke and red afterglow. After undergoing transformation, Yuuna felt energized, as if the chains constricting her shattered and freed her. There was a sense of immense freedom and she could do so many things beyond what normal humans could ever be capable of.

So she should have known that her senses were also sharpened. Her body was so strong, so fast and so powerful that she couldn't have forgotten that perhaps even her perception was enhanced. But she did, and now one of her heightened senses transmitted a message now that she was thinking straight.

Why was the Vertex going to a different place? It was targeting Tougou and Itsuki who were defenceless and had no means to retaliate, at least not without transformation. This meant _the Vertex was extremely intelligent and adaptive with various situations_. It was capable of learning.

But then came Itsuki's call. Her voice was hoarse and she could hear sobbing that pierced her heart. And yet... Why was she calling in such state? Why was she crying? Could it be that the bomb it launched wounded her? But Fuu-senpai said the aim was far off. Could it be...?

 _"No... no..."_ A faint voice appeared from the transmission.

Yuuna's fists crumpled white under her gauntlets, as the same line echoed in her mind. Her cheeks heated up, and her vision swam aimlessly.

 _"It was... There was..."_

The Vertex was a dozen meters before her. Yuuna glimpsed a yellow blur approaching, hollering out her name. The monster once again moved its tail and it expanded in size. She could avoid it again like before but if she were to leave... What about them? What about her friends? What about...

 _"Issei-senpai is...!"_

Yuuna's gaze turned into a sharp glare, her teeth grinding before she let out a deep breath. Lowering her hips, she took a stance—

 _"OOOOOOOOHHH!"_

And a red comet crashed onto the Vertex, sending it tumbling down like a knocked pin.

"...Eh?" Yuuna muttered.

Fuu who was close to her position also looked at the site where the monster was now at. It lied motionless like a doll with strings cut off during the play on stage. The midsection sunk in as if a blunt object was hammered into it, which was probably what the red comet intended to do or whatever. Yuuna tensed, preparing for any change to the situation, and...

 _"Gah! What the hell is with that speed?!"_ A somewhat muffled boyish voice rang out. _"That was going way too damn fast, you stupid lizard! Aren't you supposed to keep me from dying!?"_

A red silhouette could be seen in the dissipating smoke, and the girls' eyes widened as scaly armors with a cape fluttered into view. The armors covered the feet, the kneecaps, waist, torso and arms. Two scale gauntlets with cruel red claws made them as if they were the limbs of a lizard, but she could see two round emerald gems shining on the back of hands and forearm. She also saw tattered, red-stained uniform beneath the armors but soon her breath hitched in her throat as rough, untidy brown hair spiked into her sight.

Even with the poorly-designed helmet, the green visor and the mishmash that she had no doubt couldn't even be described as a proper set of armor, much less a scalemail… she recognized _him_. She knew him. It was...!

"Ise-senpai...!?"

The boy looked up, noting her presence and smiled. The lower part of his face was not covered by the headgear so all she could do was catching that stupid grin which looked as if there was nothing to worry at all. He even waved a hand! Even though... _Even though she almost thought the worst had happened! How cruel can he be, seriously!?_

"Well, while I don't like getting rid of the festivity, this is our chance!"

" _Hyah!?_ " Yuuna almost jumped, startled. "I...! I'm not happy! I didn't spill a smile or pout at all!"

 _Huh,_ Fuu muttered, her eyebrow about to disappear to her hairline. _Aaaah... I just blew up myself...!_ Yuuna could tell her face must have looked red like tomato at all, now. She quickly berated herself, yelling 'I'm such an idiot' over and over in her head.

"Anyway," the senior stated out loud enough that Issei and Yuuna could hear her voice. "Issei, keep the Vertex down! We're going to begin the sealing ceremony so when the barrier is done, step away from the circle!"

"Huh? O-okay... Hey! Why, you...! Stop squirming!"

 _It still can move!?_ Yuuna really didn't know how strong and resilient the Vertex was. She almost couldn't believe herself but Issei exerted strength that matched the monster to nail it on the ground. Fuu jumped down and shouted out for Yuuna to get into her specified position. Nodding at the order, she jumped and landed across her, surrounding the monster from two opposing sides.

"Alright!" Fuu grinned, summoning and slamming her great sword ahead of her.

Then at once, light surged out from the ground. It took the shape of a circle which was filled with a hexagonal diagram. Phrases written in language that Yuuna believed styled from the Kojiki spread out be it in the circle, in the diagram, or even at the hollow center of the diagram. _Huh, there's a letter there and... it's changing every second? Why?_

"Uwah! Something's coming out!"

Just like what he said, the part of the Vertex that looked like a deformed head suddenly opened like the lid of a canned food, and something came out of it. It was a reversed pyramid object, and it floated high before stopping for a good hundred meters away from the ground... _What is that?_

"Yuuna, Issei! The Sealing Ritual exposes the Vertex's Soul!" Fuu shouted. "That's like the heart! If we destroy it, we win!"

 _That means..!_

"Ise-senpai!"

"On it! Let's go, Yuuna-chan!"

The two leaped to the sky. Winds battered their bodies yet their gazes remained fixed at the Soul. She heard roars of an engine and glanced, finding that Issei was propelling himself up with two boosters appearing from the armor covering his back. As if sensing her gaze, Issei glanced at her and nodded. Yuuna smiled, replying in kind and pulled her arm, clenching her hand into a fist.

"Hero...!" Yuuna swung her fist. "PUUUUUNCHH!"

* * *

The girl saw it, two flickering lights that reached up to the black heaven.

There was an impact, and glittering motes of light scattered all over the place. Instead of reassuring her, it reminded her ow her situation instead. There was a conflict between the cheers everyone carried with the turmoils in her heart, so she raised her hands and clutching them close to her heart.

In her powerless state, all efforts she exerted could be amounted to nothing. In fact, she had burdened everyone because of her disadvantages, her weaknesses. She loathed this moment where she couldn't do anything, much less helping her friends. All alone, she was useless, simply nothing. Did that mean the spectacle before her was a way for the world... for the Divine Tree to chastise her for being the way she was?

She didn't know. Her tears had pooled and rolled down her cheeks. She had cried for someone because she believed because of her, that someone was hurt. She despaired, yet once again her claim was proven wrong. After all, it turned out everyone was alright.

 _Then, Shinju-sama... What should I believe in now?  
_  
She didn't know. She wasn't even sure what kind of future ahead of her and her friends. Would she be dragged once again into this affair? Could she even do something next time instead of becoming a baggage? The girl didn't know, but...

She stared at her two friends who were descending back to the surface — and smiled despite the tears spilling from her viridian eyes. The others, as if they had noticed, hurried to her side. Her best friend asked her what was wrong and if something was alright, just like always. Her upperclassman tried to soothe her with encouraging words, obviously failing in the process due to her younger sister's witty remark... also the boy who _dared_ to make her worried sick that she believed her heart had stopped for a moment.

 _Honestly, what is that design of armor and why is he still wearing it?_

She wanted to say many things to them. She had so much questions to be answered. But, even so... For now... For Tougou Mimori...

"I'm glad... I'm so glad everyone's safe..."

Hope and joy blossomed in the hearts — but time once again marched forward and everything became pure white.


	7. Chapter 7 - Capriciousness

What everyone sensed first was the tremors. It was familiar but still not something they could get over within a short time. It was an indication that something about the current world they were in had changed once again. Anxiety filled the air but Fuu raised her head.

"The Jukai is dissolving." She said.

"What do you mean, Senpai…?" Issei asked.

"The Jukai is the barrier made by Shinju-sama," Fuu explained, her light green eyes tracking the whitening sky. "This place serves as an alternate dimension where Vertex can be contained away from destroying the normal life of the people, in addition of freeing us from getting concerned of them while fighting. But now that one of them is defeated, we're being transported back to Sanshu."

Honestly, what a timing. Fuu's limbs were like jelly and her stomach rumbled. She wanted to eat an extra-large serving of udon, but she realized that she has yet to buy groceries. What a blunder...

"Onee-chan..."

Ah, that's right. Fuu didn't intend to say she had forgotten. On the contrary, she had this coming as she found her younger sister looking up to her with worry and confusion evident in her face. Fuu smiled wryly.

"I know, Itsuki. Onee-chan isn't going to run without confessing the truth first."

As her words piqued the interests of everyone except one, she gave a look over the group. Fuu frowned at a boy standing an arm's length away from Yuuna while Tougou bore a harsh glare on him from the back. _Huh, did something happen between them?_

Well, whatever. The Jukai was going away. As the background grew whiter, Fuu took a deep breath in and resigned her heart. When she closed her eyes, darkness was there. When she reopened them, however…

"Eh...?" One of them, Yuuna muttered while being basked by the orange glow of sunset. "We-We're back? But this is... On the school's rooftop."

Fuu slid her shoe, feeling the hardness of the concrete flooring with the sole of it. She looked past the fences surrounding the rooftop, at the hundreds of lights of lamps decorating the town, and then at the sea reflecting the color of the twilight sky. You could even see the Walls isolating Seto Inland Sea from this place and truly, it was a beautiful sight to behold.

Sorting her thoughts, Fuu believed that they were back at the Sanshu Municipal Middle School. The school had a three-storey building and the place they were in was the rooftop. It was often inaccessible for students due to the safety but Fuu knew another reason for it.

If she were to look back, there was a small shrine with a small Torii in front of it. Besides its purpose as a shrine for worshipping the Shinju, the Shinto-styled shrine gate had a purpose as a relay station where the Heroes could leave from once the Jukai was put down. She wasn't sure of the details but it seemed it was all due to Taisha's efforts to ensure that the existences of Vertex and Heroes could not be leaked to the general population.

 _I really wonder if they're being meticulously cautious or just being overly paranoid_ , Fuu wondered in her head. There was no need to distrust the people backing the Heroes up. Despite their chosen methods, Taisha had no choice since the Vertex intruded close to Fuu's area of surveillance. There was never such a thing like an arrangement with their enemy when previous contacts had proven how hostile they were to mankind. Her parents' death was a testament to that.

 _So all we can do now is to push forward... huh?_

"Alright, everyone!" Fuu started with a clap and moderate shout. "Listen up! I know you all are exhausted and confused after all that so—"

"Senpai isn't here!"

 _...Huh?_

"...Yuuna, what do you mean?" Fuu looked at the redhead. "Isn't there only one upperclassman here? Who else is... _Ah._ "

Ah, indeed. In the rooftop, Fuu counted four girls including herself, but it was supposed to be four girls with a boy. _There was one person missing from the group._

"Eh!? Where did that idiot go now!?" The third-year whipped her head to the left and right.

"Ah! Onee-chan, there's a note here! It's... Written by 'Your Most Awesome Harem King'-san… Eh?"

"Oh, nice job, Itsuki... Wait, what the hell is that lousy name!?"

Fuu waded and snatched the piece of paper from her sister's hand. True to Itsuki's words, it was indeed written by someone with a super terrible naming sense and it reek of groundless self-importance. But when she flipped it around, her eyes widened, blinked a few times and then narrowed. Fuu's hand slowly crumpled the paper and her lips twitched.

"That... Perverted dumbaaaaaasss!" Fuu howled to the sky. "What the hell do you mean by 'I'm tired so gonna go home and play some eroge' _dammit!_ "

And he had the gall to write 'I also didn't get what all that was about so talk about it later maybe'. What the hell was wrong with that boy?! Why adding 'maybe'?! Now it looked as if he was making fun of Fuu for being needlessly unreliable in the worst timing! No, could it be... _Is that his aim all along!?_

"Khe... Khe ke ke ke...! So that's how you're playing it, huh...?" Fuu huffed, readjusting her breaths and tipping forward a little. "I see…! Now it all made sense!"

She didn't notice but from outsider's perspective, her figure darkened to a degree, making her like a crooked scheming villain. Yuuna trembled alongside Itsuki as creepy laughter not unlike that of a witch rolled off the blonde's mouth.

Then, as if on cue, the sunset flashed a strong light and Fuu spun around, pointing at it.

"This Senior is going to show you her max-level leadership! Just you wait, Issei!" She shouted. _"This is not over yet…!"_

* * *

On another part of the town, specifically on an empty alley leading to a mountain next to the seaside town, the armored Hyoudou Issei sneezed while running four times faster than his best sprinting records ever stated. The boy rubbed the skin below his nostrils and sighed. Someone must be talking bad about him. _It must either be Fuu or Tougou-san…_

It couldn't be helped. Issei did notice the glare sent his way by the wheelchair-bound girl, but he didn't know what to do about it. He wasn't exactly guilty of something bad but maybe suddenly rocketing out from a rubble even though he was hit directly by a bomb broke her... _Well, that's totally a terrifying thought to follow._

[Those girls are not fools or as weak as you believed. Even the timid one cannot be underestimated, partner.] _Ow! A voice from the head...!?_ [Idiot. Our souls are already bound together from your birth, and you're still affected by the Overboost. I can easily talk with you like this.]

 _Well, ain't that reassuring, now?_

[You're making a stupid choice again, partner. Are you sure this is fine for you?] The voice in the head questioned.

"...Shut up. I do whatever I please." And Issei answered with a snarl.

[If that's what you think.]

 _Guh, what a busybody..._ Issei shook his head. He knew that this was a bad idea but he had to get away from the girls. He didn't want them to know the truth, no matter how hard it was for him to not freak out about his past decisions.

[Three seconds left,] the sealed dragon in his mind said. [Partner, I suggest you using the boosters. It's fine, I can regulate the emission this time so you won't crash onto things again Well, even that wouldn't kill the current you so you can just break through them all.]

Now that didn't reassure him. Seriously, how did he know what Issei was thinking? Maybe it was because of him and the beast sharing the same headspace, but still... _Ugh, that can be for later!_

"Fine. Goooooo!"

With a will, the boosters on Issei's back expanded and he flew off the street, his cape fluttering in the winds. Going past the small mountain in less than ten seconds, when he saw nothing that could bust out his identity, the boosters turned off and gravity pulled him down.

Issei's armored feet slid down the slope, making noise like a tumbling boulder. His vision was riddled with bushes, branches and leaves until he stopped moving. When he looked back, Issei was already halfway down the mountain. Checking the vicinity, there was nothing but wildlife everywhere.

[RESET!]

At the same time, Issei's armors shone and vanished in glittering dust of light. Unimaginable weight pressured his shoulders and spread down to every fiber of his body. The boy's legs trembled before he fell on his butt, lying spread eagle on the hard ground.

"Gah…! Agh…! Hah…!" Issei heaved, wincing as the pain multiplied in intensity. "Damn… it…! So this is the recoil…!"

He couldn't breathe. It was hard to suck in air, and his lips felt like they were zipped tight. Issei gasped and wheezed, clawing the ground as he commanded himself to breathe with all of my might. Little by little his lips parted open, and finally he sucked in copious amount of oxygen through his mouth

Time passed as the pain lessened, and with regulated breathing, Issei became more at ease. He sighed, then looked up. There were stars above with a lonely crescent moon hanging far, far away from his reach.

 _THROB_ – the heart pulsed. Issei winced as the sound was like a pounded taiko drum. The pulse of his heart wasn't normal at all, and he also discovered that the ground was grinding against his back.

"...Hah." Issei snorted, breaking out a small laughter. "Yeah, that seems right."

He did it. He seriously did it. To think that the prices he paid turned out to be like this... Should he laugh, or should he cry?

He wasn't sure. Issei was no longer sure so he laughed until his side hurt. Once that was done, he sat up, finding his front covered with red scales. The uniform had been burnt everywhere by the bastard back there, but just looking at the state of the clothes, anybody would have wondered why was the body beneath it could still be unscathed.

Flicking to his side, Issei's left arm was covered with similar scales. Unfortunately, the arm had deformed and the hand resembled a reptilian claw now. _I... guess this is a dragon's arm, if anything, right?_

The boy blinked before he tilted his head. His left eye was seeing everything the same as usual but through his right eye, the world became crystal clear, vibrant, and full of colors but sharply poking at his brain.

"Man, this sucks..." Issei crossed his legs together, his expression souring as he found out that the transformation also reached his legs. "So, what? Am I no longer a human?"

An answer was delivered from a within his chest.

[A third of you is still human, partner. I tried not to be too greedy for my first offering in the last decades.]

Why did it sound like he was a piece of a meal, Issei didn't know and he had no desire to find out. But then again, he bargained with his soul left intact, so he couldn't complain at all. The deal he struck up was obviously better than various other things he could imagine. No eternal tortures after he died, no getting devoured and nothing like malicious split personality that wanted to take over his body! _Yes, this is fine..._ Not.

"Transforming into a half-assed humanoid dragon was not what I expected, dammit!" Issei yelled.

A deep laughter rang inside his head.

[What are you complaining about? This is a great boon since now you can fight with a good base to build form.] The sealed red dragon reasoned.

"At least make it whole body or something! This kind of partial transformation would just terrorize others worse than walking around as a living, breathing dragon!" Issei protested.

[And why would you be concerned about what others think now?] The dragon asked.

"Because like hell will I be popular among the ladies now!"

[Hah? That's your problem?] The dragon asked as if it was having troubles comprehending what he had heard.

"That's rude. Do you want me to explain it further then?" Issei asked. "Fine! Let me tell you the greatness that is me and—"

[...Partner, you can't fool me. Enough with deluding yourself.]

At once the words that were supposed to come out died in his throat. Issei hung open his mouth, a minute going by and soon he hung his head down. After a while, he sighed.

"I... Sorry. Everything's been going so fast I really can't follow it all." Issei rubbed his head. "I mean, I'm just... I'm just a normal guy. I'm a pervert, yeah, and I'm fine with that! But fighting against a monster and nearly getting killed by it?"

No, that wasn't it. That was all just an excuse. What Issei wanted to deny was his stupidity. He could have done it better. Maybe he could, even if he didn't know what he was supposed to do. He just couldn't stand and watch his friends getting hurt, you know?

"I know that but still," Issei sighed. "How am I supposed to go to school now? How can I even go back home without mom and dad knowing I sacrificed more than half of my humanity to help my friends...?"

When his thought railed to his parents, his only family... Issei realized that his dad too had a link with this all. What was this farce? He might not be the smartest kid in the block but he at least knew that something didn't fit in the picture.

His family's moving to Sanshu. His meeting and interaction with the Hero Club. His first encounter with an eldritch monster and his subsequent near-death experience... Then his transformation into a part-dragon. The last was more or less accidental and he believed Ddraig had no connection with the grander scheme, but still...

"…Agh...! This is frustrating!" Issei cried out. "That's it! No more thinking!"

[Oh, so you're not going to resume your tirade again?] The beas-liza-dragon remarked, receiving a dry glare from his host.

"Look, you..." Issei trailed off. "Huh. Now that I think about it, who the heck are you?"

A deep exasperation filled his mind.

[Good for you to ask,] the dragon said, his voice growing deep and prideful. [I am the Welsh Dragon, Ddraig. I am also known as the Red Emperor Dragon and a Heavenly Dragon, one who surpasses even the Dragon Kings.]

Red Emperor... What? Issei blinked as he wasn't sure if he had heard it right. The titles sounded big and regal, but that made him wanting to ask a question now.

"So why are you inside me?"

...Thinking about it, maybe that wasn't the smartest choice of words. _I feel dirty now…_

[It's a long story,] but Ddraig helpfully replied in a nonchalant tone. [Simply put, I made great havoc in the wrong place so God, Grigori and Satan tried to subdue me. In the end, that dastardly being succeeded and I was sealed in this thing you call Sacred Gear.]

Huh. Well, that answered some and raised a whole bunch of questions now. God? Grigori? Satan? Weren't they stuff coming straight from the Bible? That thing was quite popular until three hundred years ago, right? But what was this 'Sacred Gear' he talked about...?

[Sacred Gear is a device granted to you humans by the Biblical God. The chances of one gaining a Sacred Gear is purely by luck but what I am sealed in is called Boosted Gear, one of the Twelve Longinus Series Sacred Gears.]

Whoa... So many complicated words. It even sounded like someone with an eighth-grader syndrome was explaining things out but considering the armors and his scales-covered body... Well, it seemed Issei had no choice but to believe it all. Did that mean this was his new normal? _Give me a break... I'm not ready to live like this._

"And what can you do, Ddraig?" Issei asked, deciding that his common sense could wait a little longer.

[Well, I can double your strength every ten seconds.] Ddraig answered.

 _Hmm... Now that I think about it, I heard that before I woke up._ As he recollected, Issei shuddered. He remembered the taste of iron in his mouth and the scalding heat in his abdomen. He remembered his consciousness flickering in and out. He remembered the disgusting smell of burned flesh and... _Stop thinking about it, dammit!_

[Yeah, that might be jumping too far for the current you. Relax, you'll get used to it with time.]

"Nggh... So you really _can_ read my mind?"

[Not by choice, no. This is what you get for the price of immense power, so suck it up. Otherwise, you're going to die faster than you can ever think.]

 _And he talked me down again..._ Issei wondered if this consequence was truly worth the pain for. Having a dragon talking inside the head meant he lost his inner privacy right? How was he supposed to enjoy playing adult games and reading porn magazines if a powerful dragon that could eat him alive was watching over his daily life? _This... This is hell!_

"You monster!" Issei screamed. "Give me back my privacy! Give it baaaaaaccckk!"

Ddraig's laughter howled through Issei's head for a long, long while.

* * *

Late at night after wandering aimlessly, Issei's stomach rumbled and commanded him to go back. He didn't want to but he couldn't, for the life of him, live like a caveman. Not only because he got no survival skills or knowledge, but when he encountered the local wildlife for the first time, they ran away as if their lives depended on it. Even the fishes in the nearby river fled without looking back! _Why!?_

[Their instinct must have detected your presence as an alpha predator instead of as a human.] Ddraig informed.

"But I'm a human!" Issei protested.

[No you're not. You're a half-human at best. Give it up. No animal would want to cross path with a lump of power that is a dragon.]

 _So it's your fault!? Damn you, Ddraig...!_

[Oh,] and suddenly the dragon muttered. [Partner, someone is approaching you. It's a human.]

"What? B-But how—"

Before Ddraig could answer, a flash of light zoomed past Issei before it returned to him. With his new vision (partially), the light that seemed to come from a flashlight almost blinded him. The boy stepped back, snapping a twig with his destroyed shoe. He shielded his eyes with his hand and spied through the gaps between the fingers.

"So you're here, _Ise._ "

...What? The boy blinked, the flashlight turned off and a figure in a white approached. Despite the darkness covering everything, Issei could make out the outline of this person. The clothes the person wore was like a traditional kimono from the Heian-era. It even included a hat but the face of the person was hidden by a white mask with a drawing of a tree on it. Who was this person? How did he found him?

The man before him took off his mask, and brown eyes reflected Issei's figure. Much to his surprises, a toothy grin permeated under the strong nose and the boy cried out.

 _"D-Dad...?!"_

Hyoudou Ichiro nodded, waving a hand. "Good work out there, son. But we have so much things to talk about."


	8. Chapter 8 - Red Scale and Innocent Petal

Changing into part-dragon and then riding on a city car was a baffling experience. Issei knew because he had been there and done that. Before he knew, he was lounging around in front of an institution with a row of Toriis stretching into the premise. Of course, he still couldn't get rid of his freaky appearance but Ichiro told him that it didn't matter what kind of thing he had become.

He said, "You're my and Kanae's son. There's no changing that, Ise."

 _...dammit. That's not fair!_

Issei wiped his eyes. Fuck, dirt got caught in his eyes and now they hurt and blurred things up...! He needed some tissue!

"Ise... Oy, Ise!" His dad called out... Whoa, since when was he so far ahead? "Not many is around at this ungodly hour but you must stay vigilant!"

"Uh... O-Okay...!"

Then get over here, Ichiro commanded. Following that, Issei hurried himself and soon they entered the building with awful resemblances to a shrine and a skyscraper. Their footsteps resounded through the dark hallway but his father raised his right hand. At once, a small torch ignited itself, illuminating the dark corridor that was mostly made from polished woods.

"Whoa!" Issei yelped. "H-How did you do that, dad...?"

"Magic," the man answered. "Though saying that, I never have the knack in spellcasting. No talent, my mentor said. What you do is more impressive, Ise."

Impressive...? What was? Issei was certain he didn't do anything other than flying with a built-in jetpack and smashing his fist against a tough-as-hell triangular object. Compared to what Yuuna and Fuu did, his role was utterly insignificant. He didn't do anything big...

Just as his thought spiraled downward, something grasped his shoulder. He blinked, looked up and locked gaze with his parent.

"Ise. Don't sell yourself short," he said. "It might be true that you didn't do anything much, but it is also true that you helped those four. Above all else, staying by their side is very important, and you've done an excellent job at it."

Ichiro didn't allow Issei to say but. The boy sensed the grip on his shoulder tightened, and he didn't miss the inflection in his words. It could be that his parent was worried when he realized he was out there fighting against a monster... No, that must be it. That must be why he insisted that he had done an excellent job. _I made dad worried sick..._

"I'm... Sorry, dad." Issei hung down his head, biting his lips.

Yet his hair was ruffled. The strength wasn't strong or weak, but the hand put some pressure while relieving Issei from the invisible burdens on his shoulders. Burdens he didn't know nor notice. Something he had never expected until now.

Before he realized, drops of water fell to the floor. Drip drip, it sounded as the tear landed on solid object. Issei's body was then pulled and he cried in his father's chest.

"You've done well," Ichiro said. "Not only did you do a noble deed, you returned alive. I'm so proud of you, Ise."

The ember flickered even without anything to support it, but there was certain sense of warmth it had. Issei too felt comfortable for being in his parent's arms, so he released the gate and let his emotions flood out.

It wasn't until Issei stopped crying that the parent and son duo resumed their walk. The corridor was long and the boy passed by some rooms that looked like classrooms. The entire furniture seemed to be made from similar wood though so he wondered if it had any connection with the materials the institution was built from.

"Watch your steps. The staircase is a little narrow..."

"Mrgh!?"

"...I guess it's too late to say that."

Issei nursed the small bump on his forehead. That was annoying. To think the spiral staircase wasn't also narrow in width but narrow in height too... Who the hell designed these stairs anyway?

"Hey, at least it won't stay like this at a certain point. Try to enjoy climbing the stairs while ducking your head." Ichiro reasoned.

"Not helping, dad." Issei stretched the last word.

Obviously, there was no tension between them. The atmosphere was comfortable due to the back-and-forth between the parent and son but Issei couldn't stop rubbing the goosebumps off his skin. _Strange... I'm getting more nervous than before._

[Yeah... There's something up here.]

 _Huh?_ "Ddraig...?"

[Be careful, partner. I don't think we're going to like what your parent is going to show to us.]

 _What... But that's absur-_

"Ise, here it is."

Issei blinked. There was light coming from above. A passage was there, indicating the end of the staircase and light was pouring from beyond it. Looking up, Issei also realized that the ceiling had risen in altitude, and shadow flitted, making him realize that his father was about to leave the staircase.

"Come on," Ichiro urged. "The person who wants to see you is up ahead. Don't tell me you've forgotten that it's rude to let a lady's waiting?"

"...What? That's the first time... No, wait! _A lady is waiting for me!?_ "

[Oy, partner...?]

"That's right! It's someone around your age too!"

"Seriously!? Why didn't you say that, dad?!"

[...Did you forget what I just said...?]

 _Who cares about that, Ddraig! A girl wants to talk with me so like hell am I going to pass up this chance!_

"Uwoooooohh!"

And so Issei ran through the stairs, going past his father and jumping into the light. He shielded his eyes but then he felt the winds smacking on his palm. The light soon receded, and his sight began to readjust themselves with several blinks.

"What..."

The world expanded before him, a landscape of a sunken ruin with tilted skyscrapers protruding from the water. Beyond the flat land he was on, a torii stood with several others protrudingf rom below which meant he wasn't on a flat land, but on a platform built on a leveled ground.

The sky was dark but the stars and moon were more than enough to illuminate the towering Walls surrounding the ruin. The water shimmered with beautiful light, and the clouds thinned as if giving ways for the heaven to shower the earth with dazzling gems.

 _"My~ So you are the Sacred Gear user... Nice to meet you, Dragon-san...!"_

And then Issei heard a slow but sweet voice. He promptly turned his head to see the person, but his body stiffened and his eyes widened.

[...I see. So it came from her.]

Issei didn't nod. He couldn't even do anything as a hand waved towards him with a small smile peeking out from the space between the overlapping bandages. Pools of brown met brown and green and within his vision, the boy found a girl in a mat of dirty-blonde hair.

The girl was bedridden, but she was sitting upright to face him, a pair of lanterns standing close to the bed for the sake of lighting. The girl wore purple hospital robe that concealed her body well but when it was about the rest of it...

Issei took a step back, doing his darnedest job to not reel back and react violently. The amount of bandages signified the wounds lying beneath, but to see someone who was possibly around his age if not younger in such state... It, it turned his world upside-down.

 _What happened to her?_ Why was she in such a state? Questions after questions swirled but Issei didn't know, so he was torn between wanting to look away, committing himself to his curiosity, or be upset at the girl's fate. Whichever was, the girl surrounded with medical apparatus tilted her head.

"Dragon-san... Umm... Are you angry about how I address you...?"

"...Huh?"

What? No, seriously, what? Issei believed there was a leap of logic here. _What's more, Dragon-san...?_

"Uh... I'm kind of... Well, I'm a human," Issei winced from Ddraig's internal nudging. "Or so I thought until six hours ago."

The blonde girl hummed.

"I see. Then... Han-kun, is it!" She stated.

 _Bwah?!_ "Han-kun...!? I'm Hyoudou Issei!"

"You're part-dragon... 'Hanryuu' (half-dragon) is too long so 'Han-kun' it is."

 _Why!?_ Issei wanted to protest but Ddraig's laughter doused his tempers right away. It even made his slowpoke brain churning out logics. The nickname was decent but that didn't mean other alternatives could be the same. _Dammit, it kind of made sense actually..._

"Mmm... Han-kun, can you get a bit closer...?" The mysterious girl requested. "I don't like raising my voice..."

"Uh? A-Ah... Sorry there." Issei bowed and approached, encircling the wide bed and stood near a device on a stand. "Is this alright...?"

"Sonoko," the girl smiled. "Nogi Sonoko. It's nice to meet you, Han-kun."

"Err... Nice to meet you too, Sonoko-chan...?"

Issei wasn't sure if being friendly was okay but the girl gave a nod with a bright smile. It perplexed him but maybe that was her 'a-okay' signal.

 _Doesn't mean I'm still at ease, though..._

"So... Umm... Were you the person that wanted to meet me...?" In the end, Issei went straight to the point.

"Mhmm! But it's too bad that your existence is not under Taisha's and Shinju-sama's management," Sonoko pursed her lips. "It's impossible to summon you here, even with my fairy's blessing. Han-kun really is a dragon."

 _Uh... Should I take that as a compliment or not?_ The boy was still confused with all these happenings around him... All he could do was scratching the back of his head, smiling sheepishly while the bedridden girl beamed a lazy grin.

"Han-kun, thank you for today..."

 _...Huh?_

"You know, I've been trying to talk to Wasshi, warning her of the upcoming ordeals, but..." Sonoko heaved a light sigh. "Thanks to Han-kun, everything turned out alright."

"...Thanks to me...?" Issei knitted his eyebrows together. "But I... I didn't do anything. Also, who is this 'Wasshi' person...?"

Despite his question, Sonoko kept her smile without budging. It wasn't fair. Issei could never be upfront if someone, especially a girl, displayed such an expression. He just couldn't brave himself to confront it and pursue the issue further...

"It's alright, Han-kun," the blonde muttered, drawing his attention away. "I'm sure everything will be alright. So, can I ask something from you...?"

"Me...? I..." Issei's gaze flickered to the slender finger stuck in a small box that had a cable connected to a heart rate monitoring device. "Sure. What is it?"

Sonoko tilted her head.

"Han-kun, are you content with the way you are now?"

"..Huh?" Issei stuttered. "Wh-What do you mean by that, Sonoko-chan?"

"You don't look... Like a human. You offered yourself in exchange of power. Just like me and Wasshi," Sonoko explained. "Now you can't back down... You have no choice but to fight Vertex. You may die in this line of duty, you know? Do you regret your past choice...?"

That was...

That was not a question Issei ever expected. The way it was carried too held a simple meaning, which Issei could never misunderstand even if he wanted to. Even so, it wasn't something he'd like to confront, not when he had barely escaped from the clutches of death.

So Issei cast his gaze down on his feet. The shoes he wore were now right, and there was restless heat building up inside his chest. It was like a reactor on a meltdown, building energy in an accelerated rate to the point that the entire thing collapsed with time. It made his last human limb to move and touch his chest where his heart resided in.

"...I..." Issei paused, taking a deep breath in. "I don't regret my choice. I will _never_ regret it, Sonoko-chan."

He raised his chin, meeting her brown eye head-on. There was a gentle light in there, and it brought back memories Issei was fond of. The memories he carved upon meeting the members of Hero Club.

"You see, I'm seriously not smart... I studied really hard and I only got a little above average for my scores," Issei chuckled. "I'm always scolded by the teachers for my moral conducts, and the girls hate me. I mean, yeah, I did a bunch of stupid things with two rascals who have the same worldview, but..."

"But...?"

Issei curved down his lips. "I don't dislike it. How I lived my life until now... There's no way I will ever regret it."

The girl in bandages wanted to say something, judging from the parted pale lips. But Issei didn't let her. He didn't want to or else he would never say it out loud.

"I like being here," the boy muttered. "Moving out of my hometown sucked a lot but Sanshu is... here, I met and befriended people who became really important to me."

He recalled their faces. The four girls who didn't see him and judge him so arbitrarily. He knew that he was partially at fault for the prejudices he garnered with but he... Issei had been waiting for someone to see him as who he truly was. He had been looking for people who could be his friends in the truest sense, people he could trust with his everything.

"Yuuna-chan, Tougou-san, Fuu-senpai, and Itsuki-chan... I like them all," Issei confessed. "I may not know everything about them. I don't even think I'm a friend worthy of their trusts, but... I don't want to lose them."

His reason in accepting Ddraig's pact was only that. For the sake of friendship, a truly trivial and crude reason. If compared to his own life, their well-beings shouldn't have been worth of the sacrifices he had made. His family, his own creed, past bonds and dream... The girls he were barely acquainted with shouldn't have weighed so much to him as opposed to what he had until now.

But Hyoudou Issei thought the girls were worth of throwing his humanity away. Hyoudou Issei believed, from the depth of his heart, that those four girls were as important as his family because...

"They are my friends!" Issei exclaimed. "I will never forgive myself if I let them cry! I don't give a damn about what will happen to me as long as they can live happily. They deserve those chances more so than me. That's why..."

 _That's why... I..._

"I will do anything for them, even if I have to turn myself into a giant monster!"

* * *

She had been wondering. The girl had been curious about the mysterious boy the Taisha was wary of. Unlike her and the rest of the people in this land, only a few things could worry the organization tasked to protect the world.

For example, the Vertex. For example, the Shinju. And for example, the Heroes.

Taisha was founded for the sake of ensuring humanity's survival. In order to secure the smallest chance, they would do anything. Keeping the masses away from touching the world's truth was one of the methods they employed.

It was understandable though. After all, three hundred years ago, people were living under the terror of the Vertex. The worsening condition in the frontlines didn't help too as it made the people to grow agitated and aggressive. Had nothing been done about it, Japan would have fallen back to the warring era with the Enemy of the World capitalizing on the opportunity.

Taisha wouldn't allow that. They would never allow that to come to a pass. But unfortunately, not even a living god like her could know what they did when such a crisis happened. She had been told that the information regarding that issue was too dangerous and blasphemous for her to know.

 _Somehow, it feels as if they're being way too exaggerating, geez._

That was why... Hyoudou Issei fascinated her. He had arrived like she expected. A boy driven by desires and impulses. He reminded her of Mino, actually. He answered with honesty, trying his best to not let others carry him away...

And he was brave. Brave enough that it reminded her of Mino's last stand.

"...Han-kun," the girl said, heaving a little so that the boy did not notice her own suffering. "Han-kun, thank you. I'm glad you said that."

She wished she could move her dominant arm. The boy was close, close enough to let her tug on his uniform and smother him with newfound affections. Regardless of what he or others thought, this courageous boy deserved at least that much. After all, he had sacrificed so much for the sake of her friend.

Truly, if only she had asked him to stand on the left side of the bed instead of the right... _How disappointing._

"I-Is that so...?" The brown-haired boy replied, his cheeks reddening. "It's really embarrassing to say all that..."

 _Ah. Shy on specific topics, just like Mino._ Sonoko smiled a little at thatt. She wondered if such coincidence was on purpose, but regardless...

"I'm really glad, you know...? I think I can leave Wasshi to your care now."

"...Eh...? What do you-"

"But in return... please do protect her. Will you accept my request?"

The boy stilled once again. He was slackjawed, and his dual-colored eyes were wide and round like saucers. _He's such a simpleton~_

"Uhmm... But I can't just ask you to do that without a form of payment... _Oh._ " Sonoko's smile widened. "Un~ How about this, then?"

Closing her eyes, she heard a 'huh' from the boy. Chuckling a little, the girl concentrated and with a little tight in the heart, a form emerged and popped into existence.

 _"Give him a blessing~"_ The girl sang.

There was a nudge. Her prayer was responded, accepted. Reopening her eyes, light burst from the boy's entire body. He yelped but the light died off as fast as it appeared. He blinked.

"What... What was that..." Issei raised his hands. "...Huh?! I'm back to normal!?"

Indeed, she could see the slightly tanned skin color and the normal human limbs. Issei's form had, for all purposes and intents, back to regular human. The scales were gone, the dragon limb vanished and the green eye also returned to simple brown color. _Ah, so this is what a boy's body look like..._

Nodding to herself, the bedridden girl turned to see Hyoudou Ichiro bowing down to her.

"Sonoko-sama... Thank you! Thank you for your kindness...!" He uttered, gratitude and joy flowing from his every word.

"It's fine~" Sonoko waved a hand. "It's nothing special~ I only covered him with an illusion spell... Sadly, I can't do anything more for Han-kun."

Yes. It was too bad that her fairies had no abilities to turn back a part-dragon back to normal human.

But, she believed it wasn't like she couldn't. She wasn't allowed to. Perhaps it was because the flesh was offered as a sacrifice. From what she could tell, Issei was in a similar situation to the current generation's Heroes. An offering made in exchange of a miracle, a law of equivalent exchange.

It was a concept considered aas sacred among the gods and nonhumans, a ritual that must never be sullied. While there were many interpretations and beliefs, Shinto was one of the few religions that strongly supported this notion alongside purification of worldly taints. Unfortunately, not many things could survive three hundred years of apocalypse.

"...I'm sorry, Han-kun... I couldn't be of any use."

"Eh?! No, well...! This is already enough for me! Or rather, thank you very much!"

 _Oh, he's even bowing... Isn't that a bit..._

"Umm..." Then Issei straightened his back up. "But how did you..."

"Well," Sonoko blew air through her nose. "That's a maiden's secret!"

"Ha, haa...?"

Good, good. It was fun seeing a person be so clueless. Sonoko never had so much fun like this for the last two years, so she'd do anything to entertain herself. The people in Taisha were really nice, and Harunobu-san was a good conversationalist, but...

"Well... this is still too much for me to accept right away so..." Issei trailed off.

"Do you want to help me too?" Sonoko beamed.

Her guess was spot-on. The boy was flustered and he scratched his cheek in embarrassment. _How relaxing_ , Sonoko thought. He really is different compared to people in Taisha...

But to be honest, Sonoko really didn't think it was necessary for her gift to be repaid like that. At this rate, nothing would begin and nothing would end. They would be running in circle again and again and again.

"Then..." Sonoko hummed. "On top of protecting Wasshi, will you tell me all the things you do...?"

"...Eh?" Issei blanched.

"You see... I can't go anywhere for too long. It's no longer possible for me to walk out from Taisha like this..."

 _So~_

"I want to hear your stories, Han-kun. _Aaaaanything_ is fine as long as it's interesting."

"...That's... Is that all?"

Sonoko nodded vigorously.

"Well, maybe starting from tonight, too." She further added. "I'm kind of bored and couldn't sleep at all... Maybe a bedtime story will work wonder~"

 _Geeeh_ , Issei muttered. Undoubtedly, he wasn't taking this well but the lure had been set and he had eaten the bait. There's no way I will let a wonderful material for my novels walk away!

"You don't want to...?" The blonde lowered her eyelids and pursed her lips.

"N-not at all! I gladly accept the request!" The boy hastily shook his head. "S-So... What story do you want to hear, Sonoko-chan...?"

 _Got'cha!_ Stifling a laughter in, the lazy prodigy's smile widened.

"I think I'd like to hear your childhood story first, Han-kun~"


	9. Interlude - Hyoudou Ichirou

"Kanae, I'm home!"

Upon saying those three words, thunderous footsteps approached the front door. At the Hyoudou residence, all was quiet. The neighbors had all slept in and night would last for less than six hours. Honestly, Ichiro could have a really good rest after his first field work but…

"Dear…!"

In front of him was his beloved wife. Just by glancing at her ill-stricken expression, he could tell that she was worried sick and to be honest, it was understandable. This had become a habit ever since Taisha contacted the Hyoudou family for the first time.

But forget about that. Ichiro hoisted his sleeping son on his back and delivered a reassuring smile to Kanae.

"Everything's alright," Ichiro reported. "There's nothing to worry. Nothing went wrong and the children returned safe and sound."

The woman with black and blond hair breathed out, her hand moving and patting her chest. Soon a soft smile crawled to her aged face but her gentle gaze remained dim.

"It has only just begun, right?" Kanae turned around, her one-piece dress fluttering. "Come on, let our boy sleep in his bed first. I will reheat dinner in the meanwhile."

"Thank you. There are so many things to tell you tonight," Ichiro turned his head, staring at the serene smile Issei had in the moment. "...Alright, big guy. Wakey-wakey, you're already past the age to get carried around everywhere."

As the man shook his arms, Issei twitched and opened his eyelids. He didn't seem like he was fully aware of his surroundings, probably because he fell asleep right after he made sure his newest friend entered the dreamland. Still, Ichiro held back from commenting on that scene since normally, that would have been considered as blasphemy in Taisha.

Not only was Issei a boy of the same age, Nogi Sonoko was a reputable living deity. If something undesirable were to happen, then Ichiro's head would roll. _Well, the stuck ups will always be sticks in the mud anyway._

Shrugging, Ichiro lowered Issei and the boy yawned. He rubbed his eyes and then wobbled his way to his room upstairs.

"Good night, Ise." Ichiro said.

"Night, dad..." Issei replied tiredly.

The head of the family smiled and shook his head. Taking off his shoes, Ichiro chose to step into the dining hall while still wearing the Taisha uniform. The kimono was prepared quite neatly and it would have taken too much time if he were to change into regular clothes right now. Plus, Kanae was waiting so that was that.

"How was it?" His wife asked as she turned on the stove.

Ichiro sat in the seat he always took in the morning. Facing the open kitchen, he observed Kanae and his smile grew softer, kinder.

"They did a great job," Ichiro replied. "While not all of them participated in the battle, the Heroes fulfilled their duty. Particularly the Yuuki girl."

The woman he loved breathed out, "That is not what I want to know, dear."

 _I guess so_ , Ichiro nodded in agreement. Maybe he was getting overexcited. He hadn't been working in Taisha for a long time so he still fumbled his ways around in it. Even so, the role he was given with was as important as supervising the Heroes from afar, and the level of information he could access lent him some hypothesis to think about.

"Ise was… Well, as always, he recklessly dived into the fray." Ichiro exhaled.

"Like father, like son," Kanae chuckled. "Don't be too smug, dear."

"What can I say? I'm a good influence."

 _So you say,_ Kanae sang in response, shaking her head twice. Ichiro grinned for a little while at that but with the ticking clock, he sighed and wore a forlorn expression.

"The Vertex was... It was just like what they said. Hideous monster with advanced learning rate. I couldn't see its evolution phase but it mattered not since there are enough past data to prove it," Ichiro placed his arms on the table. "The corrosion rate was small so what damages the Jukai reflected on reality fortunately didn't swallow up lives."

 _Yet._ But as if he would say that aloud. The situation was already grim enough and the man would not like his own words jinxing it. Hoping for the best was better, if anything else.

"...Even though I have heard it before, it's still hard to believe that the world ended because of them," Kanae sighed. "And I cannot believe how we adults cower while pushing the children to fight those man-killing monsters."

"I agree. Such a shameful display of maturity, isn't it?"

The two adults looked down, their expressions hiding nothing. There was disgust, fear, and hatred written clearly on their faces. Sending off your own children to a war they might never be able to return safely from was a despicable crime. No responsible parents would ever do that yet they did, all for the 'greater good' that was mankind's survival.

But what about the people whose children did not return? What about the families that were left behind, burdened with the unfortunate news? What could be taken other than that the children they loved would never return to their side anymore? Losing your flesh and blood, and no longer able to see them laughing and saying 'I'm home' with a wide and innocent smile…

Ichiro bit his lips, knowing far better that his personal opinions would hamper his job. That must not come to a pass, otherwise all of his past efforts would—

"Ichiro, dinner is ready."

"Huh... Ah, thank you, Kanae."

The two exchanged nods. While Kanae took off the apron and settled on sitting next to him, Ichiro clasped his hands and started eating. He tasted the warm and sweet flavor of the rice, the mildly spicy curry sauce and chewed the boiled vegetables and meat. The aroma of the food tickled his appetite further and so he shelved his thoughts away to focus in enjoying the food his love had cooked for him.

Once the late-night dinner finished, Ichiro blew the steams off his glass and slowly drink the bitter green tea, relaxing warmth spreading down to his stomach.

"It was delicious," Ichiro commented. "As always, your cooking is peerless, Kanae."

"Of course it is. I didn't train my skills only for nothing, hun. Everything I do is for my sweet husband and son."

 _Is that so_ , Ichiro playfully responded. He pulled Kanae in to his side and pecked her on the forehead. The woman giggled and her arms slid to embrace him back. She settled out a joyful sigh, and tightly committed herself in the mood.

But...

"Will this truly end?" The mother asked.

"...I don't know. Will they even be able to endure the incoming hardships... I honestly don't know." The father replied, shaking his head a little.

If he could switch position with his son, Ichiro would have done so. All he had ever wished for was a loving family and days filled with happiness, an ordinary life suited for an ordinary man like him. Yet, was it impossible for such meager dream to be granted without requiring compensation? Was it not enough to watch his wife suffer for all those sorrows before Issei entered their life?

"I... I'm scared, Ichiro." Kanae confessed.

The man felt her love's trembling arms and he nodded. Raising his right hand, he placed it on hers and snuggled his cheek on her head.

"I don't want this. I never wanted this to happen," Kanae continued on. "I only wished to be a mother. Making you happy and forming a true connection as a family... All I wanted was that."

Her voice began to crack and stinging pain intruded its way to Ichiro's heart. He listened to her every word, soothed her with his presence, and protected her from breaking down. But should he stop her?

"...I know, Kanae... I know." Ichiro reassured, kissing her crown.

 _No._ No he wouldn't. He'd rather hear Kanae's voice, listen to her wish and acknowledge everything that she wanted to say. It was his duty as her husband, and it was also because of his love for her that he could endure this pain. For everything that he cared about, a little more pain was nothing at all.

But in the future... could he still think the same? Could he be prepared for a future without his son in it? Could he be prepared to leave behind his wife for the sake of the world...? Could Hyoudou Ichiro sacrifice the life and happiness he had finally obtained to commit a noble deed?

As a father, and as a man... He didn't know. His heart was silent, telling not even a clue about what he ought to do. No matter how much he think for a solution and no matter how many times he prayed... nothing answered his pleas and Ichiro didn't like that.

He wasn't a temperamental person, but he believed there should be a limit to the troubles following behind his family. There should be, must be a way out of this all, but upon realizing he couldn't do anything, his blood boiled and his vision turned red.

Fortunately, Kanae's sobs and quiet cry drew him back from crossing the line. Ichiro understood that fretting about the matter was useless, unproductive even; but what could he do? He was just a person, a family-man with limited resources and talents. He understood that the world could be unreasonable and downright cruel. He had had his fair share of hardships, and so was his wife.

But Ichiro didn't want to be burdened with the choice of picking the world or his personal happiness. That responsibility was too heavy for him. He barely scraped by to be a father figure and he _still_ believed that he was failing at it. Yet by thinking so, now his son stood at the frontline of a war nobody knew, fighting a battle that have already stolen most of his humanity.

 _At this rate, Ise would..._

Ichiro shook his head, shutting his eyes tight. He held back that accursed thought with all of his willpower. He couldn't just give up when his son vowed to do everything he could for the people dear to him.

 _But… is that truly alright?_

Ichiro hated his uselessness. The sense of impotence gnawed on his heart, festering into guilt and sorrow when he recalled his son's vow to the living god. Already, the boy had chosen his path. There was no turning back as the vow he made was a promise listened by the gods. All that was left was for him to wait and see through the ordeal, even if the result would not be something he desired.

 _What can I do? What should I do?_ The man's thought spiraled again to no avail. He gritted his teeth, heat swarming from below his neck and reaching his eyes. _If you truly have mercy, please tell me, kami-sama..._


	10. Chapter 9 - Confidence

**A/N: Apologies for the rapid updates. Got the wrong chapters and the index was messed up so I had to do some maintenance. This time, I think everything's fine. Also, next update is in less than 12 hours.**

* * *

"Ise-senpai...!"

In the afternoon at the Sanshu Middle School, a redhead raced through the hallway while crying out a name, _his_ name. Ahead of her, the brown-haired boy who was her classmate and fellow club member shuddered, glanced back and immediately ran away.

" _Waaaaaiiittt!_ " Yuuna yelled. "No running in the hallway!"

"Then put down that rope...!" Issei screamed. "Why is this happening again?! I already apologized, didn't I!? Give me a break already, Yuuna-chan!"

 _Nooooo waaaayy_ , the girl with ponytail sang while chasing after him. But unfortunately for Issei, he thought of it as a witch's laughter so he dashed out of the school building and searched any place that could hide him. The sports field was too exposed, the auditorium hall was too obvious and the shed was locked tight.

Issei looked to the left and right, and he sprinted to the courtyard before dunking himself into the nearest bush.

"Huh?" In hiding, Issei shuddered as the cute voice of his classmate approached. "Ise-senpai? Ise-senpai...?! Now where has he gone to, geez!"

After the footsteps died away, Issei waited for five more minutes before he looked around from the bush and crawled out of it.

"Haa. I... I'm saved..." The boy sighed, patting his chest twice. "Guess I can't go back to the classroom right now, too..."

With lunch break ending in fifteen minutes, going too far just to avoid his friends might be a bad idea. Even so, Issei couldn't shake the feelings that it wasn't only Yuuna who was hunting him down so he scanned the surroundings, confirming that there was no other member of the Hero Club around.

After that, Issei walked along the row of bushes sitting in-between the courtyard and the main school building. As soon as his idle thoughts ran out, though, he looked at one classroom, pausing and passing by it like a wind. Impossible. No way would Itsuki do a tarot fortune telling while wearing a witch costume! It must be someone else!

Deluding himself, Issei marched on and passed by another classroom; this one had nothing extraordinary in it. He peeked at the other classroom, then another, and another. Everything was normal!

 _Looks like I'm safe_ , Issei thought with a light sigh. His steps grew lighter as he took a detour back to his classroom, a thin smile permeated on his face. Most people would see him as weird right now but nobody he knew was around and he wouldn't like himself getting tortured by Fuu. As he hummed a tune, the boy passed by a wheelchair-bound girl.

"..."

The Yamato Nadeshiko pulled and sounded a whistle.

The Pervert fled back to the path he came from.

Coming out of nowhere, a Girl Power Evangelist pounced!

 _"Noooooooooooooo!"_

Congratulation! Hyoudou Issei has been captured!

* * *

Sanshu Middle School Hero Club. It was located in the first floor, taking up a quarter space of an unused classroom.

Due to the Virus outbreak three hundred years ago, the number of population sharply dwindled and not many children were born in the past years, leading to the declining number of schools and optimal usage of school facilities.

But aside from that, nothing bad happened so everything was alright.

"Like hell this is alright!" Issei cried as he was tied with a rope around the wrists and the ankles.

The boy writhed around like a caterpillar next to a burning matchstick. Alas, no kind soul was in the vicinity so his fate was sealed.

"Now then!" And in front of him, the gorgeous senior with shiny forehea—*cough*—blond twintail announced with her left arm swinging to the side. "Let's begin the trial!"

 _"Ooooooh!"_ The remaining members of the Hero Club minus Issei chorused.

Yuuna and Itsuki were staring reverently at the club leader who was Fuu, the self-proclaimed Girl Power Evangelist. On the other hand, Issei's other classmate was staying behind him while emitting some whip-cracking sound effects _that didn't sound scary and arousing at all...!_

[Yeah right, partner.] Then appeared the obligatory voice from the mind, [You can dream on surviving this. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.]

What? _What the hell does that mean, Ddraig!?_

[Hm... I'm of no help here so I will lay low, partner.] Ddraig replied and his presence waned from his mind.

 _Y-You traitorous bastaaaaarrrdd!_ Issei almost cried tears of blood but came Fuu's booming voice.

"Alright! The punishment has been decided...!" She paused, probably to launch a dramatic tension. "Hyoudou Issei! Explain yourself!"

 _Eeeeeeeh—huh?_

"Errm... Explain?" Issei blinked as if he was dreaming.

Fuu nodded. "You didn't appear here for three days straight and you slept through classes like a sloth. Did something happen?"

 _Gulp_. To think his senior would notice...

Well, of course she would. Fuu was the overseer in charge of the Hero candidates in this area. She was another agent of Taisha like Issei's father, and... Looking at Yuuna, Itsuki, and Tougou, Issei had a sinking feeling lodged in his stomach. It wouldn't budge no matter what!

 _Agh... For fuck's sake, why am I so weak to women who are kind to me!?_

"I..." Issei sighed. "Sorry if I worried you all. It took some time for me to accept all this."

The boy bowed his head. He could hear faint murmurs but he couldn't let any misunderstanding to form. Besides, he had already marched beyond Hell's gate so what was the worst thing that could happen?

"I... Well, I talked a lot with my old man about those other stuff. Taisha, Heroes, Vertex, and Shinju-sama..." Issei groaned, realizing that he couldn't scratch the back of his head due to the restraints. "But to tell the truth, _I don't get it at all._ "

Issei could embarrassment creeping to his cheeks. But beside the unresponsive Fuu, he could feel concerned gazes coming from Itsuki and Yuuna while Tougou was...

"...May I ask why would you think so?" The black-haired girl requested.

Issei was about to turn around when something tugged and his bindings loosened. Huh? How did she do that? Well, whatever. Issei now could stand so he did and then he faced Tougou.

"Because I've got no clue at all," Issei confessed. "I mean, I was living a pretty normal life until three days ago. Then I got thrown to another dimension with my friends and suddenly everyone must fight against super scary kaijus hell-bent on killing a god and the world."

But Issei had to admit a small part of him was excited. It was a break from his daily life. Something that totally didn't make sense but giving promises about things only he would know. It was like his childhood repeating itself all over again, only with the wild imaginations making their way into reality.

The boy furiously stomped down that thought.

 _No_. That was wrong. His friends' lives were at a stake here. Nobody was joking and someone important to him could die. That was unacceptable. As if Issei could accept that. Still...

"...I... I just can't. This is all ridiculous and I don't like it at all. I never even heard of what my dad worked on until several days ago..." Issei paused, breathed in and breathed out. "I mean... I don't want you girls to get hurt..."

Issei was being completely honest. He didn't like his friends getting hurt. He would do anything for them to stay safe. He would cheat death and punch some eldritch entity in the face if that could protect his friends, consequences be damned. But...

"Why is that?" Tougou asked, her dark green gaze meeting the boy's brown gaze. "Why would you go to such an extent for... for us?"

The question was said as if she wasn't sure at the end of it. Issei could see Tougou's concern and how she was having a hard time to deal with this situation. Hell, that would put her in the same boat as Issei but he was torn between comforting her or telling her the truth. She even sounded as if she had no right to include herself in the group of people that he thought dearly.

 _But, well... Isn't my decision already set?_

"Because you're my friend, Tougou-san," Issei said, forming a dumb smile. "I mean, I like you all. I really like you too, Tougou-san. As if I will let someone I like be hurt or saddened."

"...Is that... true?" The girl asked as if she didn't believe it.

That was fine. Issei could understand why would Tougou think so. After all, he was a stranger in this circle. In this Hero Club, everyone had known each other well. The bond the girls had were strong and firm that even someone like him could recognize how unfitting he was to be in this group. Truth be told, he felt like the odd one out but that too wasn't something he didn't know of.

 _On the contrary, I think I'm still the same here, right?_

But he had no reason to tell the girls about it. He was already fine with knowing them like this. Wanting for more would be greedy and selfish and he didn't want them resenting him. That was why...

"Yep!" Issei grinned, raising a thumbs up.

Receiving that answer, Tougou stilled. She stared and stared and...

...Ah, did she just shed a tear? Issei panicked internally, warning alarms ringing like klaxons in his head. Tougou's complexion turned red and there were beads of tears pooling at the corner of her eyes! She was even trembling uncontrollably! _That's really bad...!_

[Yeah, you did a great job there, partner.]

 _Shhhuuuuuuttt uuuuuuppp, you overgrown lizard...!_

[You idiot. I am praising you.] _What?_ [Anyway, just wait and see. You did nothing but a good job here so just watch.]

 _Whaaat?_ No, seriously, what the heck did Ddraig mean? Issei moved his gaze to the side and saw Yuuna rushing to Tougou's side alongside Itsuki. Although Fuu was standing stockstill, Issei could hear the questions for concern be answered.

"I... I'm sorry," Tougou hitched her breath. "I'd like to go outside for now."

 _Eh_ , Yuuna muttered at that but her sleeve was tugged and Issei too understood. The girl wanted to be left alone for now, maybe to recollect her thoughts. Issei exchanged glances with Yuuna...

And he nodded, smiling bitterly. _You should go on with her, Yuuna-chan._

"Ise-senpai..." The redhead muttered, replied in kind and wheeled Tougou away from the clubroom.

Everything was silent until Fuu made an exasperated sound.

"You really said something outrageous, Issei," Fuu placed a hand on her hip. "Have you never once stopped being frank to yourself and others?"

Her tone didn't have a sound of seriousness or even humor. Was it rhetorical?

"Onee-chan...!" Itsuki called out.

"I know, Itsuki. It's just rhetorical question."

Ah, there it was. Fuu's slightest side of maturity. A thin smile and a shake of head was her defining trait in this kind of situation. Somehow, Issei felt relieved about that. _At least it didn't seem like I will be getting maimed by a buster sword any time soon..._

[Uh-huh. Keep telling yourself that.]

 _Gah! For God's sake, shut up already! Don't jinx it, Ddraig!_

[ _Riiiight..._ Anyway, pay attention to this person before you. She has something to say.]

 _Huh—_

"Issei, I'm sorry."

Before the boy could register what had happened, Fuu had bowed down right in front of him; she bowed toward him. The great Fuu bowed for an apology!

"Bwah!? Wh-what do you mean, Fuu-senpai...!?" Issei flailed. "Hey, stop it! If this is a joke, it's not funny—"

' _Pay attention.'_

Like a sudden breeze batting his face, Issei froze over, all words dying in his mouth. He soon chewed his mouth as the those two words reined his heart from panicking even further. After he thought carefully what he should say, he lifted his chin.

"...Fuu-senpai, you didn't do anything wrong." Issei pleaded, "Please raise your head..."

When she did so, both Issei and Itsuki relaxed a bit. That was totally unlike Fuu, seriously...

"Why are you apologizing, Fuu-senpai...?" Issei asked.

His club leader took a deep breath in while closing her eyes and hugging her arm. It was as if she was gathering up the courage to say something she hated.

"I heard from Itsuki," Fuu said. "You were injured by Vertex. It was my order that made you to regroup with Itsuki and that means I am responsible for what happened to you."

 _...What?_

"That's... weird," Issei answered. "Fuu-senpai, you just suggested what to do. I wanted to help others so it was entirely my fault for being so careless. You didn't do anything wrong."

That was right. As if anyone could anticipate the Vertex to suddenly switch target like that. Hell, from the looks of it, it was the Hero Club's first time engaging the monster. Anything could have happened, even without Fuu commanding him to do something else.

But Fuu adamantly refused that reasoning.

"Don't you know that unlike us, it's more than likely for the next enemy to snuff you out?" The older Inubouzaki asked. "You don't even have a hero terminal, Issei—"

"Yeah, but it doesn't matter, right?"

Huh. Didn't expect himself to interrupt and say something like that. But Issei couldn't care less. So many things had happened in succession and... _Now that I think about, had I answered differently, maybe this wouldn't have happened on the first place._

Damn. Now he felt like an ass. He just made his classmate cry and his senior was so upset that it didn't seem like she was thinking straight at all. _Why can't my life be simpler...?_

Somehow, Issei wanted to punch something or himself if this trend continued on. He needed to do something, and walking out like an asshole wasn't a good idea. Not. At. All.

"Yuuna-chan already said it, right?" Issei smiled. "Fuu-senpai didn't do anything bad, so please don't blame yourself like this. Being depressed doesn't suit you at all, Senpai."

"...Issei..."

"Besides... Uh..." Issei scratched his suddenly itchy cheek. "...I don't think I will be a burden. I've got my own way to fight now so you don't have to worry!"

Yeah. He couldn't forget that he was now a part-dragon with a magical equipment that could enhance his strength every ten seconds. That was an extremely useful ability considering he was still as squishy as normal human, though he might have actually become stronger than an athlete with his current constitution. _I did break my previous sprinting records by five seconds flat, after all..._

"So, well... Let's wait for Yuuna-chan and Tougou-san. Then we'll talk about it together." Issei suggested.

He hoped the senior would understand that. At the very least, Issei was sure Itsuki shared the same thought with him.

"...I guess so." Fuu sighed, smiling a bitter smile.

She accepted! _Hurray!_

* * *

"Tougou-san, are you okay?"

In the hallway where the windows faced the sports field, Yuuna asked her best friend. She was thankful Issei gave them permission even though all that happened... _Really, Senpai is amazing._

Tougou shook her head, wiping her eyes with her sleeves.

"I'm sorry, Yuuna-chan. I even dragged you all the way here..."

Ungh. That didn't sound good at all. Yuuna could tell her next-door neighbor was upset. She could tell from her hoarse voice that she was mad too, but why? Why would Tougou be upset even though she was given what she wanted?

This wasn't like before. Sometimes, she thought that Tougou acted funnily whenever that boy Yuuna admired was around. Sure he liked to do pranks and sometimes went overboard once his friends were with him, but her best friend never reacted like this.

Today's exchange was... _I think it's worse than the usual but why?  
_  
"...Yuuna-chan, I..." Tougou stilled. "...Never mind."

 _Aaaah, she's avoiding the topic now! This is bad!_ Yuuna immediately turned around and leaned down, meeting Tougou's gaze. She hoped that a smile and a gentle question could ease her friend so she did and she asked.

"Tougou-san? It's okay, so... What's wrong?"

The girl in the wheelchair hitched. Yuuna now considered that maybe she was hiding something or she couldn't form the right words to say. As far as she knew, Tougou had a hard time in expressing her worries so who was she worried about? Could it be...

"Was it what Ise-senpai said?" Yuuna deduced.

She found Tougou's wide eyes and hesitation as the right answer. She was right. Her best friend was worried about him and probably, the girl had been like that ever since the day their daily life was put to a halt. _Ise-senpai sure is popular...  
_  
Huh? Somehow, that didn't settle well with Yuuna. Why would that be? Well, she must put her personal questions aside and help her friend right now. _This prickling feeling in my chest can wait._

"It's okay! I'll keep it a secret so you can tell me, Tougou-san!" Yuuna smiled, holding the pale hands with reassuring comfort.

Tougou stared at her for a while before she cast down her gaze. Yuuna wanted to interrupt but the girl then said.

"Yuuna-chan, I... I couldn't do anything back there..."

"Huh...?"

 _Tougou... san...?_

"It all happened in an instance," Tougou muttered, her hands gradually clenched on her lap. "When I saw him, I was relieved. The same way he smiled in when he found his way to reach Itsuki-chan and I. I was glad to see him... Even though the situation wasn't something I should have ever wished for others to be in."

Her best friend shook her head. She laughed a little, yet it was as if she was laughing at herself. As if she was guilty for having done something unforgivable. Yuuna didn't understand why would she think like that so she listened instead of interrupting.

"...And then he was enveloped in an explosion. The enemy attacked him, taking only one moment to strike." Tougou shuddered. "I... I couldn't do anything. All I did was staying still and watching as his body flew and landed motionlessly... _I was powerless...!_ "

The girl didn't finish her sentence. She couldn't, perhaps. But Yuuna was... She didn't know that. She didn't know that someone was wounded. She had never known that it was Issei who was wounded. She didn't want to know that her fears were proven.

But that didn't make sense at all. He was attending classes like normal. Sure he slept in a lot but he was there. She even talked with him and he ran around like a boy his age would, if not a bit faster. Issei, he...

"...Ise-senpai is fine, you know...?" Yuuna tried her best to not let her voice crack. "I'm, I'm sure he wouldn't fault you for that. Tougou-san, you said that it already happened and..."

What? What could she say? She was equally confused and worried now. But as a friend, she had to believe Tougou's words and accepted them. Yet by doing that...  
 _  
...No. That doesn't matter_.

"It's okay!" Raising her voice, Yuuna pulled her friend's hands up and smiled. "It's okay, Tougou-san! We're still here and there's nothing to worry about!"

"...But, Yuuna-chan..."

"Everything will be alright!" Yuuna repeated. "I'm sure it will be! After all, we still have so much fun things to do! It's only that there are slightly tougher missions, so I'm sure we can do it!"

After all...

"Hero Club's tenet, you're likely to succeed if you try! Don't you think so too, Tougou-san?"

Yuuna looked at her eagerly. The girl who was her best friend and neighbor. Albeit slightly, her lips quirked into a small smile.

Tougou nodded, "...Yes... That's true enough. Thank you... Yuuna-chan."

It wasn't perfect and there was uncertainty in her eyes. But for now, that was alright. It was fine since Yuuna would do her best to make up for it and help everyone up.

"Un! You're welcome, Tougou-san! Now let's get back to the clubroom!"

Turning the wheelchair around, Yuuna began pushing it forward, talking with Tougou as much as she could without breaching the various lines on the sand.

As always, she would do everything she could for her friends. They were all in troubles and they must have their own worries right now. They needed help, so she must help them. It was the creed of Hero Club and it was what the girl had decided.

Otherwise, Yuuki Yuuna wouldn't be a Hero.


	11. Chapter 10 - Noble Thoughts I

On the other hand, waiting sucked. Issei could guarantee that though he wouldn't mind arriving four hours early if he were to date a cute girl. As always, he could imagine all the lovey-dovey scenes he tried to do in his head, but...

"So Issei..." Fuu placed a bowl on the table and opened up a bag of instant udon above it. "What did your parent tell you so far?"

Across of her, Issei raised an eyebrow.

"Well, I guess it's the basic..." Issei rubbed the back of his neck. "There are Twelve Vertexes out there. Their aim is to reach Shinju-sama and then the world will end... right?"

He watched as Fuu walked to a dispenser and filled a pot with hot water. The third-year student nodded and paced back to the table, pouring the hot water into the bowl filled with udon. Delicious scent wafted and Itsuki who was next to Fuu's seat stared awkwardly.

"This is the fifth time..." She whispered almost inaudibly.

Issei pointedly refused to go along with his junior's descent into madness. Working out the mechanism of Fuu's metabolism was as futile as understanding the secret of the universe, so he tuned that out and focused on listening.

"That's right. The Vertex are incredibly dangerous. There were an attack two years prior but back there, it took everything the previous Heroes got to drive them off."

The elder Inubouzaki sibling settled in her seat after placing the pot back to its rightful place. She powdered the udon with dried toppings and seasonings then she picked up the chopsticks she brought from home.

"After that is Taisha, which is an organization holding the duty to communicate with Shinju-sama. They responded to the threat Vertex has by gathering Heroes from all over the country." Fuu twirled the pair of chopsticks in her hand. "To put it simply, they first scouted children with high potentials, round them up under a supervisor and then the supervisor will give them the Hero Terminals. That's when Heroes are deemed as ready to fight the Vertex."

Haa... Issei had heard of this before but refreshing memories worked wonder. Still, he couldn't say he liked what the Taisha did.

"So that means because of the aptitude, everyone is here...?" Itsuki wondered.

Ah, she said it first. Issei and Itsuki soon stared at Fuu but she sighed in resignation.

"That's right. I'm sorry for not telling you, Itsuki..." Fuu met the worried gaze head-on. "But to tell the truth, it's never decided who will fight against the Vertex. There are many candidates out there and I was hoping that we would never be picked to fight, too. That's why I didn't say anything."

"Onee-chan..."

 _Huh, so that's what dad meant..._ Issei now hummed in thought, pondering about the information he had just obtained. If that was the truth, then it was a case of inevitability. Fuu tried to be cautious so that should one day the Vertex attacked and the Heroes were scattered all over the town, everyone could at least fend themselves by using the terminal. But as long as those monsters didn't appear, there was no need to create unnecessary tension and weighed this duty in everyone's minds.

Just like what Yuuna said, Fuu didn't do anything bad.

"Well... So, what else?" Issei asked.

"...I don't get what you mean." Fuu scrunched up.

"I mean... Heroes like Fuu-senpai and Yuuna-chan can fight the Vertex equally, right?" Issei asked. "But why is it only Heroes that can do that?"

 _So it's that_ , the upperclassman nodded sagely. She placed the chopsticks on the lips of the bowl that puffed up vague white steam and she crossed her arms under her chest... _Mph. She's stacked, alright..._

Ignoring his gaze, Fuu replied, "That's because conventional weaponry doesn't work against Vertex. Throw them missiles, bazookas, lances and swords... Nothing can work."

"...Absolutely nothing?" Issei asked, his mind boggled.

"Absolutely nothing." Fuu nodded again.

 _...Ddraig...?_

[Do you expect the likes of peashooters to even scratch a monster tasked to kill a conglomeration of gods? Not even nuclear warheads worked if you're asking and it's already tested 300 years ago.]

...

"Well, crap." Issei summarized.

"Language, my dear junior," Fuu breathed out. "But I share your sentiment. It would have been comforting if the government can do something but all they can do is information control."

Yeah... Issei had no choice but to accept that that kind of monster would be too much for everyone's mind. It was simply par the course for Taisha to restrict information about this secret war and to tell the truth, he wouldn't want his mother to see that kind of monstrosity. She would faint on the get-go.

 _On the other hand, dad is... ugh, now that he can use magic, I'm pretty sure he has a way to record the battle._

How wonderful. Issei's world had expanded but it veered off to a spectrum he never thought he really wanted. And so he hugged his head, groaning at the incoming headache.

"Hey. Come on, don't lose your spirit already, Issei," Fuu chided, pushing the boy's feet under the table with her own. "We've only defeated one so there are still eleven more to go."

"I know... It's just... Bah, whatever."

And so Issei slumped his head onto the table, his arms stretching forward next to his head. While he could hear the soft sigh leaking from his senior's mouth, he could also hear a little laughter nearby.

"Th-then... How about I'll do a fortune telling for you, Hyoudou-senpai?"

"...You can do fortune telling, Itsuki-chan?" Issei raised his chin to let it support his head.

He could see the only first-year in the room smiling and nodding. It was comforting, but... Should he or should he not?

"...Alright, then. Please tell me my future is bright with a harem of beautiful women..."

"So you haven't given up yet..."

 _Oh, shut up! This is my dream so let me do whatever I want to make it real!_

"Ah, err... So it's love life and future career, then?" Itsuki asked and received a slow nod. "Alright, then! Let's see..."

The girl prepared the entire thing well. She took out a deck of cards stored in a plastic case, sorting it out in an opened fan line-up. Issei watched as his junior shuffled them, repeated the process and then reshuffled the entire deck again. To tell the truth, he didn't get what that meant so long story short, Itsuki finished the ritual with six cards on the table, all faces down.

"Errm... Hyoudou-senpai, please pick one of them."

Huh, was that how it went? Well, Issei had no qualm so he chose the closest to his hand and turned it over.

"Oh! The Lover Arcana in upside position." A bright, sunny smile graced the timid girl's face. "This means your love life will go smoothly, senpai!"

 _What? Seriously!?_ Issei felt giddy now. He didn't expect weird card game to uplift his spirit but maybe this was the beginning of his spring! The legendary spring of youth, rosy school life, etc cetera, et cetera...!

"Mmm... But looking at other cards..." Itsuki turned over two cards and frowned. "Senpai, you will have to work very hard for that and lying will not be good for you."

"Does that mean... what?" Issei asked.

Itsuki nodded. "It means that if you don't do anything, then you won't be able to get the love life you desired."

Oooh, so that's how it is. Issei had long risen from his former position and was now leaning forward to inspect the tarot cards. To be perfectly honest, he had no clue in understanding this all but Itsuki was helpful enough to explain the function of each card and the meaning of the position of the cards.

Card in normal position suggested true aspects of the tarot card, but if reversed upside-down, it told the opposite aspects. Itsuki called the cards in upside-down position as 'card in reverse' which indicated it was meant to be read differently. Then there were more and more to hear and...

 _You know what? I think I'm sticking to the advice and set aside the rest for later._

"Don't underestimate my sister's fortune telling accuracy, Issei." Fuu interjected. "Itsuki's success rate is sixty-five percent and when she uses her props, it will rise to eighty-five percent!"

"Seriously!? That's amazing...!"

Issei stared at his junior in a different lens now. Who'd ever thought Itsuki had the talent to do this?

"Hm?" He tilted his head. "So the girl wearing witch costume in the classroom was you, Itsuki-chan?"

"Eh!?" Itsuki squeaked and dropped the tarot card which then glided off the table. "Uwawawaaah!?"

Much to Issei's surprise, the girl was easy to distract. Unfortunately for her, this caused a chain reaction where Itsuki scrambled off her chair, her legs tangled together and she fell down while bringing along the other cards into the mess.

"Itsuki-chan...!?" Issei hurried to her side. "You okay? Nothing's hurting?"

"Owwie..." Itsuki whimpered. "I-I'm fine, Hyoudou-senpai."

Ah, so she's fine. Issei breathed out in relief. Still he helped Itsuki getting up and recovered the other tarot cards on the floor. For some reasons, though, Fuu was cackling like an old geezer.

"Onee-chan, you're not helping..." Itsuki whined.

"Oh, sorry! Sorry!" Fuu apologized but she grabbed the chopsticks. "It'd be a waste if I don't eat the udon first."

 _Ergh... Don't tell me that's the sixth serving._ Issei really wondered just what kind of digestion system did Fuu have. He wanted to ask for once but he shook his head to clear his thought. Better talking his junior than asking stupid questions like that.

 _"I wonder if this is how it's like having a little brother..."_

...Huh?

"What was that, Fuu-senpai?" Issei asked.

"Oh, nothing! Nothing much, really!" Fuu said, "Hmm, now that I think about it, Yuuna and Tougou are late."

...Ah, yeah. The three members of Hero Club stared at the door. While Issei believed others might be thinking differently, he looked at the door feeling guilty. Why? Because he made Tougou cry, of course.

 _Nothing's working huh_ , the boy thought in his mind. Honestly, he felt like an ass and he should have apologized. He was pretty sure his answer didn't satisfy Tougou or else the girl wouldn't have reacted like that. _Maybe I've never been a good friend around her and I just blew up my final chance..._

Ah, the thought depressed him now. This wasn't good. Issei knew that he was unworthy of becoming close friends with the four girls of Hero Club but he wanted to get along with them even if for a little bit.

 _Ugh, am I getting indecisive about this?_

Just as he purged his worries off his head again, Issei finished recovering the last tarot card... _Hm?_

"...Say, Itsuki-chan," the boy received a curious green gaze. "This card has a tower struck by lightning. What does it say?"

"Oh, the Tower Arcana?" Itsuki paced and looked over the card from nearby. "Umm... It means heavy trials, changes, revelation, and disaster... Why do you ask, senpai?"

Well... Just as Issei was about to answer, a mechanical ringtone echoed. Itsuki gasped, Fuu recoiled and Issei looked to the windows, realizing that all sounds had vanished except theirs and the buzzing melody.

Tremors waved through Sanshu. At the same time, the door leading to the clubroom slid open and Issei saw Yuuna and Tougou, both holding their smartphones.

"Ise-senpai...!" "Yuuna—"

Light flooded from the outside world, and all was enveloped in pure white.

"So I failed again..."

A girl looked up from her bed to the baby blue sky. It stretched wide, seemingly hollow ever since the truth was laid out to her. The world had never been the same, yet extremely similar that she wondered if she was dreaming. Was she dreaming then? Or was she awake?

That... Honestly never mattered to Nogi Sonoko.

Regardless of the nature of the world, she loved her job and it was also based on her own desire that she was still fighting. But not now. She was tired after asking the Taisha to publish her newest novel, so she wanted to rest until the appointment time.

"Mmm..." Sonoko hummed with a small smile. "I've got so much ideas now... As I thought, Han-kun is amazing."

Yes, yes. The boy was honest and he provided answers that surpassed her expectation. Sonoko thought that the last three days were her most interesting memories next to her times with her best friends.

"...Hm... I wonder what you are doing, Wasshi..."

The Heroes must be already fighting. The living god knew that even without having to transform, for Taisha was her limbs, ears and eyes. It had been like this for two years and honestly, she was getting used to all this business.

 _Ah, but, getting a visit from my parents and friend is the best thing ever._

The girl chuckled in anticipation. What would they talk about next time? What kind of fun time would she experience next? What kind of inspiration would she get from the visit?

 _I can't wait. I can't wait to see you all again..._

"Sonoko-sama."

 _...Ah. He's here._

"Harunobu-san," Sonoko sighed, pleased that another acquaintance visited her once again. "Have you published the novel? I'm pretty proud of this one...!"

The masked man in traditional kimono kowtowed in reverence before lifting his face from the floor.

"Indeed. It was a magnificent literature, Sonoko-sama," he reported, sitting in formal posture. "But the book's orientation... Mayhap, is it deliberate?"

Oh? Sonoko tilted her head with eyes closed. She mused about her latest work and deduced.

"Hum... Was it too unrealistic? I haven't experienced any romantic or polyamorous relationship so I took references from the internet~."

Sonoko's answer triggered the agent of Taisha to spurt gibberish, fumble around and kowtowed on all fours. He even butted his mask against the floor with a resounding crack.

"So-Sonoko-sama, such research is inappropriate for one of your position! It is indecent!"

 _Eeeeh... So troublesome._

"Mmm, well, let's set that aside, okay...?" Sonoko suggested. "So Harunobu-san, how's your little sister?"

"Ah? Ah, ah, yes... She has been training and I presume she will be sent to the frontline once this battle is over."

 _I see_ , Sonoko replied. Though she was smiling like always, the girl didn't miss the nervousness in Harunobu's voice. It was easy to tell that he was reluctant but it simply couldn't be helped. Heroes were required to uphold this 'Sacred Ritual'.

However, saying that would defeat the purpose of his efforts. Everyone knew that Harunobu was a hard-working genius who rose in ranks rapidly for the sake of the people important to him. The man had a good sense of justice but as if to balance his wits, he was a socially inept person. If one were not informed beforehand, they would felt insulted since Harunobu was...

 _Mmm... Ah yes, he's an utter blockhead._

Sonoko nodded, "You should message her sometimes, you know...? Karin-chan is your family, right? Harunobu-san, I'm sure she will be happy."

"...I..." The man paused. "...I understand, Sonoko-sama. I will try to give my regards to her."

Yes. That was for the best. With the way the world is now, nobody should be left in grief. Sonoko felt happy that she could help someone even with her current state.

 _...Now that I think about it, there must be more to this, right...?_

"So~" Sonoko drawled, letting the new high-ranked agent to continue.

"Ah, yes. Actually, Sonoko-sama... In regards to the—"

 _"I won't kill Han-kun even if it's you that requested it."_

Suddenly, as if everything was a lie, Sonoko's voice froze the atmosphere and coldly struck the Taisha's agent.

"Han-kun is my friend. No matter what the Taisha wants, I will not stop him or even kill him." Sonoko stated.

Her only eye bore a glare at Harunobu. In front of her, the person easily cowered and once again planted his face on the floor. It was shameful, disgraceful even. But Sonoko knew that to Taisha, her existence and decisions could not be dismissed so easily.

Perhaps that was why Harunobu was here. To convince her that the Sacred Gear user could be a serious threat to the world Taisha tirelessly protected for 300 years. Different to Heroes who used the Hero System, Sacred Gears were the legacy of the God who ruled the Era of Christianity. They were specifically made for the sake of mankind and for all purposes and intents, the Biblical God allied Himself with humanity even after age has changed.

But humanity was not uniform. Each person was unique, possessing their own life, burdens, aspirations, and dreams. To say that everyone would protect the world was nothing short than tall tale. Sonoko had reached that truth ever since she was 'enshrined' in this lonely place.

 _Plus, unlike normal Sacred Gears, the Longinus-series are fully capable of slaying god when used at maximum potential._

For a country who admired, revered, and prayed to a conglomeration of Gods in the past few centuries, the existence of godslaying beings was a matter of national emergency. In the wrong hands, they posed a threat worse than Vertex because they could not be confined by normal measures. Darkness of human's heart was not something so trifling.

Also, Heroes regardless of their generations were never meant to fight other humans. _Sigh, I really don't like thinking complicated stuff like this..._

"Harunobu-san, this time I'm going to let this slide but please don't say that again, okay?" Sonoko requested. "You shouldn't listen to the higher-ups every single time."

"...I... Your will shall be done, Sonoko-sama."

 _Hm! Good boy~_

"Then... aside from that, I believe we have another problem..." Harunobu slowly recovered and straightened his back. "We wish to ask for your cooperation, Sonoko-sama."

...Oh?

"Do I have to transform...?" Sonoko asked, masking her curiosity. "Could it be sending off the stray bats and crows again?"

They were pretty rare, especially in the last decade but she had seen them. Heck, she was even requested to take them down before things spiraled out of control. _But it's too bad that they have one-dimensional personality…_

As she went on a tangent, the messenger was silent. As if he was preparing himself to give up his life in an unwinnable battle. Sonoko noted how rigid Harunobu's posture had become so she braced herself—

"We have detected unwanted visitors from overseas," the man took a breath in. "They have plunged through the Jukai. It's a group of Stray Exorcists and... One of them is confirmed as a member of the Heroes Faction."

The air chilled. The beautiful landscape could do nothing as the mortal took the brunt of the living goddess's cold glare.

Even so, he persisted. Against the creeping fury residing beneath the girl's still smile, Miyoshi Harunobu gathered every ounce of courage to tell her everything he knew.

"His name is Herakles, a descendant of the great hero Herakles. Zeus-sama's honored Champion has defected from Greek Faction by joining hands with the Khaos Brigade."


	12. Chapter 11 - Noble Thoughts II

**A/N: Welp, I think the story here has reached the latest update in SB as well.**

* * *

The heaven embraced pure darkness while a land of trees replaced the scenery of Sanshu. Buildings ceased to exist, roots and sands covered the ground and far behind everyone was the figure of a great tree emitting rainbow-colored light-the Shinju.

 _...Man, this place is seriously weird._

Issei took a deep breath in to calm down his nerves. He could feel every fibre of his body shivering, his blood boiling and his senses sharpening. It all happened in a moment but his mind had cleared up, allowing the boy to not go around like a headless chicken again. Even so, it was all too sudden, surprising and disturbing that he was both calm yet excited when he was about to risk his life together with his friends.

 _Ddraig. Is this going to be a normal thing for me?_

[Yeah. Unlike normal humans, your senses are far better and it's easy for you to detect other Powers.]

 _...Other Powers?_

[Basically, you can search and measure someone's strength in the area. Dragons are prideful creatures but we are always drawn to places, things or people that have great amount of power. It's in our nature to attract those bearing immense strength even without desiring it.]

 _Oh, so that's how it is_. Issei really needed to step up his game if he still couldn't get a clue in all this 'supernatural battles behind regular life' shtick. But the problem was... he had not a damn clue that magic and monsters existed until three days ago! _Who am I supposed to ask for guidance if it's like this!?_

Scratching his head, Issei sighed with eyes closed for a good minute. After that, he looked around, seeing Yuuna and Fuu already donning their Hero uniforms while Tougou and Itsuki stated in worry.

"Alright, everyone!" Fuu announced. "I know that this is going to be tough but I want you all except Yuuna to stand back."

 _"Huh?"_

While three out of five people were dumbstruck by her words, Fuu waved a hand and her smartphone flashed into existence with a quiet chime.

"We can't see them yet but there are three Vertexes coming here." _Three!?_ "So I want you all to hide until everything is over."

Unbelievable. But Issei had to believe in her words once Fuu displayed the radar feature of the smartphone doubling as a transformation device. Within the white area were four colorful dots while three others were painted red and...

"...Is that... it?"

Following after Tougou's words, Issei turned his head and squinted his eyes. Far away from the place they were on, two giant figures floated into existence as if they had passed through a mirage. Soon after, he could also see the last one following but in a slower rate.

They were weird. One looked like a scorpion but without pincers or even a head. Another had flags floating around with a thin body. The last one was like a ring stabbed through with a colossal needle.

"They're here, huh...?" Fuu clicked her tongue. "This is it! Everyone—"

"Let me help too... Onee-chan."

...What was that?

Issei and the others turned their heads to the source of voice. He almost couldn't believe he had heard that but he knew better than doubting himself. So he looked, and he was swept by Itsuki's resolute gaze.

"I... I'll help as well," Itsuki said. "I want to help too, Onee-chan."

What...? Issei was stupefied. His reaction was also shared by the entire Hero Club but Fuu snapped out first with panicked shouts.

"No! Itsuki, it's way too dangerous for you! You haven't even fought a Vertex before and you're joining now!? You can't—"

"There's no way I'll leave you, Onee-chan!"

Overpowering her with her own shout, Itsuki trembled, clutching her phone tightly to her chest. It was... It was worrying, as Issei could tell that she was scared to the point of nearly shedding tears. But that hesitation soon vanished as the shivering stopped, and the girl took a deep breath in.

"I..." Itsuki raised her head, meeting her elder sister's gaze head-on. "I'll follow you, Onee-chan. No matter what."

 _That's why_ , she continued and looked at her phone—the Hero Terminal. Her dainty finger touched the screen and an echo of bell resounded.

Light emerged, followed closely with a storm of yellowish green flower petals. It was similar to what Issei had seen when Yuuna transformed but Itsuki... Her transformation was accompanied by gentle breeze carrying the scent of flower, and he could hear sounds similar to wind chimes singing.

As green light blinded everyone, it soon subsided and everyone witnessed... Another birth of a Hero.

"Itsuki-chan..."

Stepping forward was a girl in knee-length white dress. Unlike Yuuna's or Fuu's, Itsuki's costume was girlish in design with lots of frills though hers still emphasized measures of protection and ease of movement. The entire combination of dress, over-dress, sleeved jacket and flowery bracelet had a motif of white, yellow and green as the main motif.

 _Honestly, she looks so cute I want to hug her._

"...Hyoudou-kun?"

 _Oh, shit! Did I just say that out loud!?_ To prevent any more reduction of favors from his classmate, Issei vehemently coughed into his fist and claimed the spotlight with it. Once that happened, he regarded Itsuki and then Fuu. The former was a little distracted but her eyes told him she wouldn't back down while the latter was a picture of concerned mother... _Let's just say that Fuu is at her best in being the adult and the older sister here, yeah._

Now, there was a need to say that Issei never had the experience in having a sibling be it older or even younger. He wished he could have a girl as cute as Itsuki to be his little sister but anyway, this wasn't the time or place for family arguments. Three eldritch monsters were fast approaching and they could be seen in the horizon.

He hoped there was nothing like that grenadier from before but the boy knew better than tempting fates. Even more, they all looked _very_ tough so...

"Errmm... I think you should let Itsuki-chan go with you, Fuu-senpai." Issei suggested.

"Even you too...!?" Fuu exclaimed.

"Well, there are three of them so the number is even. Plus..." Issei walked, standing next to Tougou. "I'll be with Tougou-san. We'll find a place for safety. After that... I will also go out and help you three."

Now it was Yuuna's turn to stagger in surprise, with Tougou getting wide-eyed. Issei couldn't help but wincing as his right hand was grabbed by the girl in wheelchair.

"No!" Tougou protested. "You... You can't, Hyoudou-kun...!"

 _Ah... Uh, what?_ Issei was thankful he stood in the place he was at. Had Tougou grabbed his left hand, everything would have turned very ugly. Even so, to her desperate pleas...

"It's okay," Issei said, nodding. "I can fight too. Well, I doubt I can be useful but I still want to help."

The boy then smiled.

"I already said it, right? I really like you all so the least I can do is make sure you girls are sound and safe. That, I promise."

"...Ise-senpai..."

Ah, this sounded like a cheesy line someone would say before getting killed off in the most simplistic manner. Issei was looking worse for the wear in the inside but...

A buzzing sound appeared before the sound barrier shattered in the wake of a spear of light.

Explosions rocked the place everyone was at. Clouds of smokes disguised the frightened screams and motes of red light sparked before they faded away. Once the dust settled, Issei glared at a needle as thick as an old tree bark towering before him. Thankfully, everyone was safe but...

[A warning shot,] Ddraig's voice echoed in Issei's head. [It looks like they prepared a high-speed sniper to cover the slowness the previous thing has. The next attack will be at one of your women, partner.]

 _That's... not reassuring. At all._

[Of course it's not. Those junks observe, learn and adapt. If a Sacred Gear evolves once the user reached a certain threshold, then those things can freely suit themselves to the battlefields they are in.]

 _So Vertexes are invincible?_ Issei almost paled at the thought but thankfully, Ddraig denied that presumption with a snarling 'nay'.

[If you don't give them the chance to attack, react, or even the time for all that, then this will be nothing but a chore. Partner, I suggest you to take them down as quick as possible or that disabled girl will die a quick death.]

Oh, now that ignited his anger. Issei growled, stepping forward but then he saw another change in the Vertexes.

Even as the Heroes—his friends readied themselves, the boy's constitution allowed him to see farther than any human being could without a scope or something similar. Through his enhanced vision he witnessed the ring-shaped Vertex forming a giant needle and Issei stood before Tougou, sending his left fist forward.

"Boosted Gear!" Issei yelled, red flash covering his body and revealing a set of red armor with a cape.

[BOOST!]

The buzzing sound appeared and the barrier of sound imploded for the second time. Light like a newborn star glimmered and the crude arrow smashed against Issei's gauntlet.

"Grrh...!?" Issei gnashed his teeth feeling the gauntlet shattering and the needle tearing through the thick plates of armor protecting his arm.

His body shuddered from the impact, his bones rattling and his feet sliding backward. It couldn't be said how much damage his left fist had received upon welcoming the surprise attack. No matter what kind of changes his body had undergone through, that collision was a lethal blow and it was further destroying his entire arm.

"Ise-senpai!" A scream carried only to fade from the storms of winds, screeching metals and blinding light.

 _It hurts. It fucking hurts like hell!_ Even so, he wouldn't give up. There was absolutely no way Hyoudou Issei would lose and be defeated like this! Not especially when his precious friends were right behind him!

[BOOST!]

Thus the boy roared, bestial voice akin to a howling dragon overlapped with the grinding of metal against metal. Time trickled as if it slowed down and the intense heat melting his left arm stabbed deep into his mind. Was there even an end to this attack? Could it be unstoppable?

 _Like! I give! A damn! Care!_

"UwwwooooooOOOOOOHHHH!"

[BOOST!]

Strength flared from the core of his being.

Issei clenched his right hand tightly and he swung it upward. The arrow screamed of shrieking iron and with it, a beam of light disappeared into the starless sky above.

Smokes filled the area. The air was hot and Issei stood still. He painfully looked at his left arm but as expected, it was a bloody mess. Thankfully it could be covered by the gauntlet so Issei had Ddraig repaired the armor and let his natural regeneration take up the slacks.

Even so, there was no word to speak of what he just did. _I just punched a giant arrow and deflected it with an uppercut! How cool was that?!_

"...Uhm… Doesn't look like there's another attack incoming but..." Issei muttered, relaxing his posture and giving a sidelong glance. "See? I can handle it by my own so let me help too, Senpai."

Fuu stared at him long. She was opening and closing her mouth but no words came out of it. After several more seconds, the older girl shook her head and slung her giant sword over her shoulder.

"...Fine. Just don't get yourself killed. That's an order for an idiot like you," Fuu said, "Also, you're going to explain what the heck that armor is after this."

 _Ouch. She sure is harsh._ _Then again, I did something stupid again though I'm not sorry at all._

* * *

"Okay... I think this is far enough."

It didn't take a long time for Issei to find a shelter. He stared at the arching giant root above and he nodded, believing that this was good enough for a cover. Of course he also helped Tougou to stay as calm as possible, but...

"...Why did you do that?"

"…Tougou-san...?" Issei tilted his head, unable to comprehend her question. "What do you— _owowoww!?_ "

Just like that, his left hand was pulled and held tight. There wasn't much strength put in the grip but the touch alone was enough to ignite a pained _shriek_ from the boy. He keeled over to his knees and he had to look up just to meet the girl's gaze.

"You... _You're hurt_ ," Tougou said, "Why did you put up a brave front? Why...?"

 _...Crap._ Issei cursed in his mind for this unlucky turn of event. He couldn't resist looking away as it was his own choice that made this situation to happen and that...

And Tougou was... The girl in front of him was at the verge of crying.

What could he do? What was he supposed to do? The boy was unable to react properly until he remembered what his father taught him.

 _'When a woman uncovered your lies, be honest to her.'_

"...Ah... W-well..." Issei's eyes swam. "This is... Uh, I'm sorry..."

 _"Sorry doesn't even cut it!"_

 _What!?_ Flabbergasted, Issei blinked as the girl in the wheelchair raised her voice. He could see her frowning, her gaze sharpening into a glare and her hands tightening their grips.

"Stop doing this!" Tougou shouted. "Nobody asked you to be hurt in their place! No one wished for you to protect them! There is no need for you to put up lies for everyone's sake...!"

 _So why_ , the girl asked. Her voice hoarse but full of pleas, the gentle smile she always wore had long vanished and

It was shocking for Tougou Mimori to scold him like this. To even yell and deny his apology like that was... It stunned Issei in more ways than one.

But her words.

Those words stabbed deep into the boy's conscience. They constricted his lungs, hurting his heart as they echoed with nothing but the truth. Because... the girl was correct.

No one asked for Issei to be harmed in their stead. He had decided, but it wasn't like he consulted wiith the others. He just... did whatever he want. It must have upset Tougou and the others.

 _Ah, this must be why she stormed out of the clubroom too..._

"I'm... sorry," Issei admitted, rubbing the back of his head. "I, I guess I said something I shouldn't have…"

The boy felt his arm—the left one—and confirmed it could at least move a little. It would be a pain if he couldn't fight at his best but there was something better to do, and that was to tell the girl before him his true feelings.

But she shook her head. One of her hands retreated and wiped the tears at the corner of her eyes. Her cheeks were flushed red. Still she refused to let him go.

"I'm sorry..." She whispered. "I know I shouldn't be angry, but... I can't. I just can't, and I... I don't want to see you like this, Hyoudou-kun..."

 _Like... this...?_

"I... don't want you to be hurt in our stead," Tougou confessed. "Yuuna-chan, she regards you very highly. Fuu-senpai cares for you and Itsuki-chan as well... You, you have to know that your pain will affect them greatly."

 _So please_ , she pleaded. Her green eyes reflected his figure and the boy voiced no word despite opening his mouth. He didn't know what to do, nor what to say now. But now he understood.

The more he suffered, the more his friends would worry about him. That was... It wasn't a reassuring thing to know of. Not at all, because he had hidden so much things and put up lies for the girls he befriended. It wasn't something a friend would do, right?

"...I..." Issei chaffed. "I... see..."

Tougou weakly nodded. Issei went silent but he soon breathed out, his shoulders sagging. He then inhaled fresh air, and looked up to the ceiling.

It was then that the root they took cover under burst into pieces.

"Huh!?"

Debris fell together with clouds of smoke and dirt. A broken needle gleamed in the midst of it all.

[Partner, get out of there!]

Issei choked his next word after he realized that Tougou was by his side. She had no mean to escape this... But I can still help her!

"Sorry!" The boy rushed and swept the girl off her wheelchair.

She yelped in surprise but Issei was already moving out and away from the falling debris. The ground shook, waves of dirt scattered behind him while his body was pushed forward by the blowing wind.

But the threat had yet to stop. Another buzzing echoed and another needle bullet punched through the spot Issei was at a moment prior. Thrown off his feet, Issei tripped but he managed to not drop Tougou or even twist his ankles.

Yet the weight of a person on top of his current injury immediately sent a wave of scorching heat to his nerves. Issei bit his cheek to stop himself from screaming. Unfortunately, his efforts failed him as he heard her concerned voice.

"Hyoudou-kun...!?"

 _Ah, crap._ The boy wanted to grin and say he was fine but he reminded himself of what they just talked. Saying he was alright wouldn't work from now onward, right? But what else could he say?

"...Sorry, Tougou-san...!" Issei breathed out. "But I'm not smart enough to know any other method right now!"

He heard the Boosted Gear announcing yet another 'Boost' and he propelled himself even faster. Even so, he could feel a part of him wilting, weakening like a lake dried from ceaseless summer heat recorded in fast forward.

[You're reaching your limits soon, partner.]

 _I know! I fucking know, but I'll be damned if I don't run as if my life depended on it!_

"...Leave me." Then Tougou mumbled.

"What?" Issei turned to meet her gaze.

"Please leave me behind, Hyoudou-kun."

 _What!?_

"Hell no! As if I will leave you behind!" Issei protested. "Don't give up! We're going to survive this!"

"I am only slowing you down! Hyoudou-kun, you have better chance than me...!"

"Like I said, I'm not going to abandon you-gwah!?"

Another needle bullet landed right behind and sent Issei flying. He hurled in the air, reflexively holding Tougou tight but the ground closed in when he faced it. _Fuck!_

It didn't take a second for Issei to switch tactic by twisting his body around. With that his back smashed against the ground and slid over until the momentum was gone. The boy wheezed, hearing nothing but ringing bells in his head yet he could still see… and… move!

"Hyoudou-kun...!? Hyoudou-kun!" Tougou shouted. "That's enough! Please, let me go!"

Ah... What was that? Did he just hear something ridiculous again…?

 _"No,"_ Issei retorted flatly, beginning to run again with the girl carried by his arms. "I'm not going to repeat myself, Tougou-san!"

"You're going to die at this rate! Is that fine with you!?"

 _Of course it's not!_ Issei seriously wanted to reconsider his decision now but he couldn't just do that! He couldn't allow Tougou to be hurt but she was getting more and more irritating! Why was she being so stubborn now of all times!?

 _...Wait. Hold up. Didn't she say earlier..._

"...Tougou-san," Issei called out in a deep voice. "Please let me hit you."

Before the girl could comprehend his words, Issei lifted Tougou and smacked his head against hers.

 _"Oww!?"_

At once the shouting contest ended. Or rather, now the stupid pleas were gone and replaced by a blank face painted with confusion. Tougou's hands covered the conspicuous bump swelling on her head and she stared at the boy as if she couldn't believe what he had just done, her mouth agape and her eyes wide with beads of tears at the corner of her eyes.

 _Gah. She's cute as hell...!_

And as if rejecting the dangers they were still facing, Issei's heart raced. Try as he might, he was carrying a girl like a princess and he could feel her breaths and body touching his chest. He was obviously at a line far ahead than his two buddies could ever hope for even in their wildest dreams!

But the pubescent teenager rolled his eyes _hard_ to ensure his mind didn't wander too far off. A third distraction was not something he needed or wanted and hey, now he got his classmate's attention.

"You just told me that I should consider what Yuuna-chan and the others feel when I'm pushing myself too hard," Issei remarked. "Why aren't you following your own example?"

"T-That is...!"

Issei waited and waited for her next words... And yet the thing he expected never came. Casting a downcast gaze, Tougou curled like a frightened small animal.

"...But I am... useless... With these legs…" She murmured. "…I… I can't even face the Vertex in the eyes…"

...Ugh. Now she raised a good point. Issei wished it was just Tougou being stressed by the entire situation but that would be inconsiderate, right? The boy's brain turned over, searching for an answer and all he reached at was...

"Geh. That's stupid..."

It was a stupid answer. He knew it was going to bite his ass in the future. But what could a mere pervert like Hyoudou Issei do besides staying upfront all the time about everything?!

"Tougou-san!"

And so with an exclamation, Tougou lifted her chin, drawn by it. She looked up at Issei's profile— _and her forehead was hit by his head._

"Ow!" She cried out. "S-Stop it! Why did you do that again!?"

"Because you're not useless!" Issei replied with a huff. "Seriously, you should also stop thinking like that! If you think like that again, _then I'm gonna kiss you until you agreed that you're better than this!_ "

"Wh-What...!?"

"Do you hear me!? I swear I'm gonna kiss—"

"S-Say no mooooooorrreee! I understand so please don't say such thing again...!"

Issei laughed in triumph at that, much to Tougou's further dismay and displeasure but so what!? At least his plan worked, right?! _Even if there will be no more chance for me to get close with her, this is worth the troubles!_

[...If you think like that, then do you know how to overturn the table, partner?]

 _Nope! Not doing that! Just run like hell!_

[Go figures. Sigh...]

Well, it wasn't like there was something he could do. Issei was pretty sure if he got close to any of the Vertexes, he would be turned into bloody mess.

 _I mean, if one of them can snipe with power enough that I can't even destroy the bullet... then they must have prepared a way to counter my every movement and ability, right?_

Sigh. This was why Issei hated stuff like adaptive and intelligent enemies. He now wondered if Yuuna and the others fare—

"...This leaves me no choice, then."

 _Huh?_

"...Honestly, to think I gathered courage just to refuse your advance..." Tougou sighed. "...You truly are hopeless."

"Uh... Thank, you?"

 _I am not complimenting you_ , the girl chided. But Issei could see a tug of smile on her face. It was weak and soft, fragile at best but he could see it. He could sense her determination and so he was soon confronted with a request.

"Will you help me?"

Issei grinned. "You bet'cha, Tougou-san!"

Not even three seconds had passed, and the black-haired girl opened her mouth—and heaved out an uplifted sigh.

Tougou Mimori smiled. "Thank you, _Issei-san._ "


	13. Chapter 12 - Noble Thoughts III

**A/N: Pardon for the slow update over here... Sigh. Final term is here so it's going to be a little while before I can fully update all of my stories here.**

* * *

Fuu would be lying if she was happy about this all.

"Uwah?!" She yelped as storms of orange needle barrages flew her way.

The girl deftly avoided it. With the blessings of the Shinju, Heroes attained a degree of divinity that allowed them to fight like superhumans. A small step could bring her forward by a hundred meters and a powerful jump let her fly over a five-storey tall building. It was a great boon but sadly, the Vertex fought like the physics-defying abominations they were.

"Agh...! I hate persistent guy!" Fuu protested, hiding away from the Vertex designated as Cancer.

Unfortunately for her, the Vertex she faced was one that could fire endless arrows of light and redirected them as it pleased. It had fan-like objects that floated freely, and the main body used them as means to aim at spots it normally couldn't cover.

 _Dammit! At this rate, were going to fight a losing battle! Isn't there—_

 _"Eeeeeiii!"_

A cry echoed, and Fuu glimpsed strings flying from the darkness. They constricted the fan-shaped parts of the Vertex, swung it like netted fishes and slammed them down to the ground.

The ground shook. Great impacts filled her hearing but she could pinpoint the voice of her younger sister despite the messed up area she was in. Tracing the source, Fuu looked up, catching Itsuki waving her hand to her.

"Onee-chan, I caught them all!"

Fuu smirked. "Good job, Itsuki! Now let's begin the sealing ritual-"

Suddenly a part of the Jukai crumbled nearby and flying through the heaps of debris was a pink-haired girl. She roared, her arms making a cross as a stinger tried to breach her defense.

But she had protection. A cow-shaped fairy was defending the girl like an impregnable shield though it couldn't stop Yuuna from crashing into the ground.

"Yuuna!"

Fuu was about to support her but the stinger retracted and vanished before she swooped in with a wide powerful slash of her great sword. The Hero clad in yellow widened her eyes at the deft response the enemy possessed. _How!?_

"Onee-chan...!"

Frantic shout emerged from behind her and Fuu turned, seeing the second Vertex-the Scorpio tearing through Itsuki's threads with its bladed stinger. _It... It helped its friend...?!_

The surprise didn't stop there. Fuu knew that Vertex was intelligent with extreme regeneration rate. Even so, she wasn't warned that they could cooperate like seamlessly like this.

What broke her out from daze was the annoying sounds of arrows being reflected to come her way. Fuu scooped Yuuna in one hand, dodging storms of arrows of light just barely only to see a stinger coming her way.

"Damn!" Fuu raised her sword, the blade scaled up in size to block the attack.

Sparks scattered. The blow was powerful enough to rattle her bones, and it was executed with so much efficiency that Fuu was blown away.

Thankfully the stinger didn't follow but now she was separated from her sister! There was no way Itsuki could handle two Vertexes all at the same time!

"Retreat!" Fuu yelled. "Pull back and regroup, Itsuki!"

Then she turned her gaze slightly below.

"Yuuna, you okay!?"

"A-Ah... Un! Thanks for the save, Fuu-senpai!"

Good, Fuu thought in relief. It didn't seem like the hot-blooded Hero was hurt but there were still scratches and her uniform was time slightly. Both the fairy and the uniform actually provided protection through Shinju's blessings and she was glad to know they were working incredibly well.

Even so...

"Onee-chan...!" Itsuki called out, approaching from a different direction.

She landed but almost tripped a few times, further proof that she had yet gotten used to fighting as a Hero. Even so, Itsuki was a fast-learner. Fuu could see that she'd be fine if she were to practice a little but she doubted there would be time for that.

"This is getting annoying..."

The three Heroes were not quite far away from their enemy. Even so, they were safe thanks to the crisscrossing structures that limited the movement of large things like the Vertex. Honestly, the Jukai proved to be a better place as a labyrinth with many covers meant specifically for the Heroes to gain as many advantages as they could.

But time remained a vital factor for them to fight for.

"We have to defeat those two quickly," Fuu said. "The more the Jukai is damaged, the more damages will be reflected in reality. If this goes on, there will be casualties."

Both Itsuki and Yuuna shuddered at her words. Fuu as well didn't like thinking about that but what had happened to her parents could also happen to other people. She wouldn't know what to do if someone out there suffered due to their incompetence, and Fuu recalled of the news that reached her that stormy night two years ago...

 _It must not happen. We must defeat them and finish the third one as soon as possible!_

"Th-Thats...!?" But Yuuna suddenly exclaimed. "It's that sniper thing!"

 _What!?_ The three Heroes looked up and indeed, far above two Vertexes was the Sagittarius Vertex floating. Its ugly form resembled a disc from Fuu's angle but then it did something unexpected.

It materialized a needle from nothingness. The bullet pierced through the ring-shaped Vertex yet it didn't seem as if it was hurting itself. On the contrary, it felt right for a Vertex to appear like that despite the wrongness of its appearance. It was a warped existence not from this world.

"...Where is it aiming?" Itsuki asked, noticing how the bullet didn't point this way.

Fuu turned her head, looking scanning the landscape... and she stilled, chills running down her spine.

"It can't be...!"

Cutting off her sentence, the Vertex fired somewhere, the needle bullet breaking through the speed of sound and hitting something far away. The ground trembled as a distant explosion smoldered the sky.

Fuu could only watch in horror as it reloaded and fired again. Three times. Six times. The line of fire and smokes spread and the Jukai gave way to unending destruction.

But there was no need to question what it was aiming at. _This bastard is trying to—_

"Stop it!" Yuuna leaped, heading straight to the Sagittarius.

Unfortunately, a storm of orange arrows flashed in front of her, preventing her from approaching the Vertexes. She landed not far ahead from the Inubouzaki siblings but before she could run off again, Fuu grabbed her shoulder.

"Yuuna, don't!" She shouted. "Stop going on your own already! We need a plan!"

"But that thing is...!"

"Issei can handle himself and Tougou _just_ _fine_. We have our own roles and duty to follow!"

Yuuna squared her shoulders, eyes widened for a little while. She looked as if she wanted to say something, to protest about Fuu's decision. But she stopped and slowly nodded.

Fuu sighed in relief though deep inside her heart, she too frantically searched for _some_ _way_ to deal with this mess. The plan singling out the Vertexes had just failed and one of them was targeting their friends. They couldn't get close and they knew how to counter each and every movement of the Heroes.

 _But the problem is the range._

Fuu, Itsuki and Yuuna were geared with weapons optimized for close and middle range. Of course, Itsuki's threads could extend everywhere but this was her first campaign and the enemy had a way to severe the threads. Not only that, the three Vertexes huddled together so it was impossible to not expect them working in tandem.

Just as Fuu was about to tear her hairs out, the Sagittarius _exploded._

...

 _"...Eh?"_

What was that? The three blinked as the ring-shaped Vertex sprayed rings of fire and smokes from within. But it didn't look as if it self-destructed. Instead, it was as if a bullet had pierced through it. _B-But how!?_

Waiting for none, the Vertex staggered but formed yet another needle bullet from within its body. A buzzing sound was emitted— _and streaks of light hit it several times, every one of them exploding in contacts._

Giant explosions burst and scattered alongside hot winds. It was followed closely with Sagittarius crashing down like a donut falling off the table. Luckily for the Heroes and unluckily for the Vertexes, the massive sniper monster landed on top of its kin.

"Eeeeh!? Wh-What was that?!" Yuuna gaped. "Who did that!?"

Sadly, Fuu was clueless as well. She had a feeling this kind of sudden turn of event was familiar, but she had no inkling and the words she wanted to say were stuck on her tongue.

It was then that a ringtone blared and the girls jolted all at the same time. _Ah, it's mine._

Fuu realized it was Tougou who called her. An eyebrow raising, she was about to answer when a thought struck him like a lightning strike. There could be no other possibility for this to happen, except...

...Taking a deep breath, Fuu touched the green icon and lined the smartphone next to her ear.

"Tougou...?"

 _"I'm sorry for my earlier conduct, Fuu-senpai."_

...Eh?

 _"I was being childish. I know that it is not right of me to question what others have decided."_ A sigh was heard. _"There is no need to worry, however. I have decided what I am supposed to do as well. And regardless of what Taisha asked you to do before this, Senpai... I believe_ you did nothing wrong _, just like Yuuna-chan."_

…

"...I... I see," Fuu almost whispered. "Thank you, Tougou. I'm sorry for dragging you too."

 _"Worry not,"_ Tougou calmly replied. _"After all, should I be incapable of proving my worth here, then my chastity will be stolen by a pervert."_

Eh? Chastity? Pervert? Huh? What did she just hear—

 _"I shall provide support. Please seal those Vertexes while they are down now."_

And then the transmission was cut off from the other side. Fuu stared long and hard at the screen, not knowing what to say...

And another set of streaks of light bombarded the enemies. A distant sound of gunshot echoed every time a hit landed and several shots on the same spot carved through a hole in the Vertexes' bodies which resulted as a series of explosions.

...

"...Maybe I should have told the truth way before all this happened."

Thus Inubouzaki Fuu lamented.

* * *

 _Hm. This is getting ridiculous._

Issei knew that his new friends were unique in their own ways. He liked them, yes. And if he could, getting to know more and be closer with them were one of the top things to do in his list. That didn't mean he would accomplish that by any possible mean. He would help them when they needed help, but this...

"Tougou-san, remind me to take you out to a shooting gallery when summer festival is here." Issei said.

"I humbly decline," Tougou replied, peering through her sniper rifle's scope. "You shouldn't try to take advantage of women simply because they are talented in some aspects, Issei-san."

 _Mgh... But you'd make a killing!_ Seriously, couldn't she tell that her sniping skill was godly? Even though Issei couldn't make out the situation in the frontline despite squinting his eyes to the limits, Tougou looked as if she was doing chores! And she did all the shootings like a walk in the park!

 _Is this her talent? But Yuuna-chan is the most skilled in terms of martial arts, and Fuu-senpai is a self-taught like me._

Did that mean Tougou had trained how to use guns in the past, then? What kind of upbringing did she have to earn this level of marksmanship? The line of questions worried Issei now, but his mind was unfortunately drawn away due to a single reason, an incredibly petty and poor to boot too.

"...Say, Tougou-san."

"Hmm?"

"...No, nothing."

 _I! Can't! Say it…!_ Issei screamed in his head as his eyes flicked to the side again and again and again. It didn't need to be said that his passion and hormones were working together, and of course he had no courage to tell the stern girl hugged in blue and white bodysuit that he liked her style very much!

 _I mean, come on! Those legs! That ass! The slender waist and that cleavage...!_

God, maybe he was going crazy but Tougou's Hero uniform had the biggest impact among everyone. He was certain that her sizes didn't match her age. No way could any ordinary female middle-school student be this developed...!

"...Issei-san." Tougou suddenly called out.

"Y-Yeah?" Issei stuttered from breaking out of stupor.

 _"Keep your eyes on the surroundings."_

Now he got a stern scolding!

"Okay..." Issei relented, tearing away his gaze from the most gorgeous and beautiful sight in his side with incredible reluctance.

Still, duty called, so he had no choice in the matter. Resetting his thought—no, what he had seen earlier was inputted in the permanent database—Issei looked around the Jukai and believed that there was no more threat besides the three Vertexes. The battle was also nearing the end so—

"...Oh?" "…Ah?"

Just like Tougou, Issei had noticed something was strange. The wind died, and the air heated up. Both of them stared ahead at the pile of Vertexes only to see them exploding in a sphere of infernal flames.

[It seems the sealing didn't make it in time,] the Welsh Dragon sealed in his arm muttered. [Those junks are taking you seriously now, partner.]

* * *

"Now this isn't good."

It was hard to get all the way here. The security was tight and a lot of props were put up as if shouting that foreign interference was prohibited no matter what excuse there was. Even so, it couldn't be helped. The organization had received great news and the situation of this country had plummeted to the red zone. To tell the truth, there should have been a limit to stubbornness but he of all people knew how adamant men could be.

After all, he was similar; a fool that knew nothing other than charging forward and thought only for the barest minimum.

This foolish man standing on the giant wall of trees was a simple man wearing movable outfits optimized for working out and hard sports like martial arts. Even so, his build was clearly abnormal and he had the stature of a muscular seven-foot-tall giant. His facial stern with strong jaw and tight cheeks, and his eyes narrowed as they reflected the image of a miniature sun dissipating from existence.

Ahead of him and his remaining underlings was a sea that reflected no light. With the pitch-black sky hanging above, the sea separated from the ocean had only the color of darkness. It looked empty, calm and eerie as if the sea would drown any unfortunate soul that fell into it.

But further ahead of them was a forest painted in psychedelic color schemes, and further beyond it was the physical manifestation of a divine existence.

"That's the Shinju, huh..." The man muttered in awe. "Man, that's a huge tree. It can even emit light."

Perhaps the reason why he could see very well was because the Conglomeration of Land Gods emitted that light. If stared too long, the light would give a headache but it obviously tried to be as accommodating as it could be in the face of major crises.

"I've seen various things but this one is... Huh, I guess it's too kind. How surprising."

The Shinju seemed to work on a different principle. Though saying that, that being's root was the Shinto Faction, the eastern faction which had the most number of gods. _In other words, it's partly responsible for the current state of the world._

"Oh oh! But it's unfair!" So one of the underlings spoke. "That's crazy! Things are going crazy! Now I'm excited...!"

The man groaned. He didn't even want to look at the asshole with white hair and dressed in priest garb but if he did nothing, then a huge-ass-motherfucking-clusterfuck would emerge and give him a _god-be-damned_ hell of works.

"Freed," he called out. "Shut. The hell. _Up_."

"Nope! Not doing that! Nope nope nope because I'm _eeeeeexxcited!_ I mean, come on! There's a big fight and there are women! Women I can fuck around with! Can't you see that those bitches are in dire need of my love!?"

The man could feel animosity growing from the rest of his underlings. Mostly, they were directed at the Stray Exorcist who knew nothing about common propriety that it would make the dumbest person sane and normal in comparison. Needless to say, the superior was twitching his eyebrows, his hands itching to deck the psycho and throw him into the dark sea right below.

It'd be a godsend if a stray shot from the Vertex kill him but Freed Zelsan was a _goddamned_ cockroach equivalent. He was a pest that shouldn't have been here in the first place, yet proving to be somewhat useful when thrown to bastards that deserved their just desserts.

 _But that would only be when the Champions we were supposed to meet weren't teenagers sitting in middle-school..._

"Fucking hell, why am I even sent out as an ambassador?" The man _—t_ he Hero Descendant sighed. "This isn't the job for someone like me, dammit..."

Ah, fuck it. He was going to punch George and Cao Cao after this ordeal was over. If this was their way of orchestrating 'trial by fire', then he would strike them with a bodyslam while his Sacred Gear deliver additional damage—

 _"Say~ I wonder what are you people doing there."_

At once heads turned, arms moved and weapons brandished. The Exorcists garbed in black took out swords that glowed with divinity and guns loaded with blessed bullets, but the man who was in charge of them merely stared... _and stared._

"Ohho! A cutie!" The madman close by moaned.

Ignoring him as if he never existed, however, was a girl with dirty-blond hair that cascaded into a tidy veil behind her back. A lazy smile was present on her bandaged face and she was dressed in deep violet suit lined with white undertones and four coattails.

She was _young_. Perhaps around the same age with her fellow Champions but no one could miss the white ribbons and bandages wrapping her limbs. It was clear that she was wounded, and that even her three-pronged spear was tied to her hand with the ribbons. The girl was further suspended in midair, her limp legs not even touching the ground due to her ribbons supporting her body.

"You..." The male hero paused. "Are you a living god?"

The stranger smiled.

"And you must be Heracles~! I've read your ancestor's legends! You're quite famous even in Japan, you know...?"

Ah. It seemed she was knowledgeable as well. Hmm... She didn't seem like a threat so this mission might be easier than it was supposed to—

"So~" the girl drawled. _"What does the Khaos Brigade want?"_

The spear she held moved and it's three-pronged blades detached into six pieces; all floating around the pole. Divinity radiated from her entire being, intense and menacing like an idol she was. Then purple light gathered and condensed at the tip of her spear.

In everyone's eyes, her smile turned whimsical and merciless. It was clear that a message was delivered using it. A message conveying that one wrong word meant forfeit of lives, _their lives_. Herakles braced himself as his jaws clamped tight, cold sweats slowly forming on his back.

"If you want to recruit new member..." The living god giggled. "Han-kun is off-limits. After all... he is _mine_ and _Wasshi's~!_ "


	14. Chapter 13 - Noble Thoughts IV

Vertex was a monster that desired to kill the world. It was the invader that infiltrated from the beyond the Walls where the world had turned into barren wasteland devoid of life. Issei wasn't sure how such monsters came to existence but he knew they were up to no good. Wasn't that better, keeping everything simple?

However, not even Issei could expect them to just up and combine like this.

"What... is that...?" The girl seeing through her sniper scope muttered nearby.

Looking at the enemy, the three Vertexes had become one colossal figure that resembled a ring, a scorpion, and a fan patched up together. With its size tripled—possibly from the fusion—Issei had to crane his head up just to see the head of the monstrosity. It was hard to describe since Vertex possessed the rigid aspect of inanimate objects and the natural traits of living beings. Even so, the sense of wrongness still pulsated and stabbed into his skull.

 _It's not something that should be here. It's not something that can be here. It's not something that should have been allowed to exist._

The longer he stared at it, the colder his blood became. Issei was petrified in dread as every fiber of his body screamed at him, commanding him to flee from the amalgamated monstrosity floating distances away. This feeling was familiar to him, so very familiar that the boy didn't even dare to look away or even blink. For it was...

 _"Fuck!"_

A bright flash emerged from the Vertex and Issei grabbed Tougou before leaping backward at full force.

"Issei-san—!?"

In the next moment, the spot they were on erupted from concentrated explosion.

[Partner, dive into the forest!] Ddraig suddenly yelled.

Issei complied immediately. He landed on a tree root, squatted and kicked himself off the edge to enter the Jukai.

Winds sailed past him. Tougou who was slung over his shoulder shrieked but above the two, another clouds of destruction exploded.

"What..." Tougou gasped. "What was that!?"

"It's the Vertex!" Issei yelled. "I don't know how it can attack like that or even what kind of thing did it shoot but we have to hide or run!"

"But _where!?_ "

That...! Damn it, he didn't know either! Issei's mind was a tangled mess right now and the chilling hands grasping his heart hadn't vanished! _What the hell is going on!?_

[Dodge to the left!]

"Wha— _owaaah!?_ "

Suddenly, streams of arrows rained from above. Issei almost got himself turned into pincushion had he not barreled his body as Ddraig dictated. Still, this meant they had already been found out or pursued...!

"That's...!" Tougou exclaimed as the two almost reached the base of the Jukai.

Her sentence was cut short as Issei glimpsed a flash from a corner of his vision and the arching root next to him broke in exploding pieces. Air imploded as violent hurricane that sent both Issei and Tougou flying in other direction, and the shockwave forced the former to be separated from the latter.

"Tougou-san—!?"

Issei saw another flash and he crossed his arms in front of his face. Not even a beat had passed and impact coursed throughout his body, the source being a needle bullet piercing through Issei's right arm while blasting him into a wall of root.

 _"Ghak...!?"_

His back smashed against it. Crater formed behind him, his body sinking into the concrete-thick tree root and the boy coughed out blood and saliva.

 _It... Hurts...!_

His vision faded in and out. Issei didn't even realize he slid down and fell like frog which had been slapped to the wall. Wind embraced his body until shadow flitted and he was held by something warm.

"Issei-san...!"

 _...That... voice..._

"Tougou...san..." Issei muttered, his voice hanging between a groan and a growl. "I... I'm fine."

"No, you're not! You need to be treated—"

 _"Don't!"_

He glared at the girl, silencing her at once. But he could see the worries and fear evident in her eyes. As people said, the eyes were the windows of the soul.

Yet, that caused Issei much grief and frustration. He shouldn't have raised his voice. Even so... there was a more pressing matter in the moment and _the boy just couldn't ignore that_.

"Put me down, Tougou-san..." Issei whispered. "Please."

The girl stared, and with great reluctance, she stopped moving away from the place they were attacked and obeyed the boy's request.

"Guh..."

Issei staggered when his feet stepped on the flat land, his breaths ragged with sweats dribbling down his temple, neck, and back. When he moved his arms, they gave him a wave of suffering that he wanted to scream. It took tremendous efforts to refuse submitting himself to the pain.

Thankfully, one of Issei's arms was still functional. The left arm—though several bones must have been broken—could still move around and the fingers could be flexed.

Issei glanced at his right arm, staring at the needle bullet piercing through the forearm. The size was stupidly big. Had it been a little bigger, then he would have lost the entire forearm. Thankfully, it was broken so it was more like a sharp stick at the length of a wooden sword.

Resolving himself, the boy gritted his teeth, grabbing the broken needle – and pulled out the needle by force.

"Gah... _Aaaaaaagh!_ " Issei screamed, falling to his knees while the needle clattered next to him.

Blood spilled from the hole in the arm. He could see the pink of flesh and the red of lifeblood, and the white of his bones. It was dangerous, leaving a wound like this untended but his throbbing mind recalled the sensation of cold iron ejecting out of the grips of meat, muscles and bones; the sound of it grinding against wet flesh echoed in squelching noise until the subsequent release of the foreign in his body.

Steadying his breaths, Issei whispered a command for Ddraig. His right arm was enveloped with green light and red gauntlet reformed back into existence, sealing any possible leak of blood.

"Ddraig...!" Issei exclaimed.

[BOOST!]

Power welled up from the core of his being. His senses remained in disarray but the pain became bearable a bit that he could... he could force himself to stand up.

Issei wasn't sure of the mechanism of Boosted Gear, but if it doubled his strength, then that meant his physique could be improved in terms of durability and natural regeneration. Even if it was only for a limited period of time, the boy could somehow heal and buff himself so that he could survive a little longer. Hell, he cheated Death by awakening his power!

"Issei-san..."

 _...Ah. I almost forgot._ The Sacred Gear user turned his head, meeting the tearful green gaze of his classmate. Issei tugged his lips to form a small smile only to fail miserably.

"It's... alright, Tougou-san," Issei said. "I'm still alive... I can... still fight."

He could almost hear a scoff coming from the dragon inside his head. He didn't know what kind of expression a magical beast like him would make, but... He knew he was looking down on him, judging his imbecilic bullheadedness with critical eyes.

[You do know your mind is quite transparent, right, partner?]

 _...Ouch. Are you angry then?_

[Nah. You don't complain or even break despite getting nearly killed twice in a row,] the Welsh Dragon sighed. [Even though you're the weakest host I've ever contracted, you don't deserve an insult after you have proven yourself like this.]

 _Is, is that so?_ Issei wasn't sure if he should be happy or be embarrassed now. The praise was unexpected, but at the very least, he was being acknowledged by a legendary mythical beast. _That's a good thing... right?_

Psyched up by this occurrence, Issei inhaled and exhaled. He straightened his back, beginning to walk…

"Don't go there."

Before him, Tougou stood with arms spread wide.

"I can't allow you to fight," she said. "Not with that condition. Please… understand that, Issei-san…"

[...What are you thinking, partner?]

Issei shook his head. The gesture didn't hurt so much but… _You already know what I'm thinking, right?_

[…Ah. So you've come to that conclusion?] Ddraig inquired. [Yeah. That is indeed the case. It's the fate of those granted with the Sacred Gears, and… let's just say that it's even more so for Longinus bearers.]

 _…I see. If so—_

"…I have to. I can't let… the others be hurt, Tougou-san…" Issei paused, taking the fragment of the enormous needle that had injured him. "Not when _that thing_ is completely focused on attacking _us_."

It was then.

It was then that Tougou widened her eyes. Her blank expression made it as if she had forgotten to breathe properly. Understandable, but staying on one spot was extremely dangerous right now. So Issei walked past her and let the Boosted Gear to further enhance his physical strength.

"Tell Yuuna-chan it's our chance to defeat it!" the boy shouted, sprinting against powerful streams of wind in less than five seconds. "Only you can do this, Tougou-san!"

"Issei—"

Whatever word the boy could hear afterwards vanished – for another bright star appeared in the distance and he was consumed in giant explosion.

Fire. Smokes. Dirt. _Ash and heat._

To Issei, the impact was less than a damage and more like a stunning blow. It was different, unlike the burning flame that evaporated air, the smokes that could choke his lungs to death, or the immense heat that gradually melted his remaining human parts.

Issei didn't want to breathe. He imagined that if he did, his insides might fall apart. _I don't want to die after being told that there are people beside my parents who worried about my well-being._

However, staying still wasn't an option either. Thus Issei ran out of the clouds of black smokes and boosted himself once again, the broken noodle persisted to stay within his hand even though it had been heated to a point that white mist was emitted due to the sharp difference of temperature.

[This is it, partner! The next boost will be the last your body can endure!] Ddraig warned.

A fierce grin nearly split Issei's face in two. He glared ahead, his hand gripping the needle tight but he quickly lunged to the side, dodging another needle bullet.

It didn't explode, just like the thing he was holding. Issei lamented a bit but had the thing which hit him _did_ explode, then he would have been a goner for sure.

The boy didn't want that. He was lucky to have survived again. Luck was barely on his side just like always, but if that was so, then he would do everything to turn the table and pay the son of a bitch twofold.

"OooooooooOOOOOOHHH!"

The boy screamed, his lungs reverberating alongside his heart. He leaped and sailed past streams of light arrows and soon landed right before an exploding bullet struck the area before him. Issei didn't lose his footing.

His center of balance had tipped to an extreme. Clawing the earth, Issei took a stance, pulling his left arm back as far as it could even as smokes and winds tried to fail him.

 _Like hell am I going to be defeated like this,_ he thought with adrenaline flooding his system; his mind set in a single direction. _Go to hell, you fucking monster!_

[EXPLOSION!]

The green jewels on his armors shone with dazzling light. At the same time, the boy swung his arm and fired a projectile, one that became a streak of light which pierced through dribbling black clouds and flame hazes.

His vision blurred. He lost control over his body that not even pain could make him stay awake. As the ground became parallel with his line of sight, Issei blinked, seeing a distant ring of flame that burst from the accursed enemy. His consciousness faded – and he smiled one last time.

"Take _that_ , you bastard…"

* * *

Yuuna roared, jumping to the sky and taking a nosedive. She turned herself into a human bullet, cocked her right arm and delivered a punch at the head of the Vertex.

But with terrible impact, her fist was deflected. The feedback hurt her body, shaking her bones and she could swear her fist had cracked.

"Yuuna-san, watch out!"

Hearing the frantic warning, Yuuna landed on an arched root and backflipped. Storms of arrows rained down, showering the spot she was on a moment earlier and the pink-haired Hero immediately rerouted and propelled herself to attack from behind the Vertex.

"Haaaaaa!" The girl roared, her Fairy blinking into flower petals as her fist collided against the circular body of the monster.

Once again, she was repelled and the enemy counterattacked by pouring yet another showers of arrows of light.

"Kh…!" Yuuna gnashed her teeth, sprinting away from the slowly redirected arrow rain.

 _It's no good._ Nothing truly worked. The realization crushed her spirit and yet burned it even brighter than before. _What should I do to stop it?! What am I supposed to do next!?_

The thing was attacking her friends. Her friends that she must protect at all cost!, yet why couldn't she put a dent or even draw its attention away? It was frustrating and fear gnawed and grew in her heart and mind. The thought that she was too late or useless stabbed deeper than any sad thing she had ever experienced, dwarfing it all and darkening her world.

 _Scary. Scared. This is scary, frightening…_

But more than anything else, there was a spark of anger. It was a brilliant flame of emotion that Yuuna had never been familiar with. She didn't like the feeling as it burned her entire body. It was as if she was shrouded by flames, but in the moment… the Hero was fine with that.

 _I have to stop it. I have to do something. I have to do it, because I can do it!_

"Yuuna!" Fuu shouted out, jumping from a spot to another in order to dodge a swinging tail with a stinger. "Regroup! At this rate, we won't be able to properly surround and defeat this Vertex…!"

 _But what if it will be too late!?_ Yuuna wanted to yell back at her senior for saying such thing. The possibility that victory could still be grasped as long as they didn't give up. It was a part of the Hero Club's Five Tenets – try not to give up – a simple phrase that always boosted the girl's morale and gave her the strength to succeed.

If they – the Heroes – were to surrender, then what would happen to their friends? Wouldn't the world end? Wouldn't Yuuna be unable to see her best friend and the person she admired forever? Wouldn't everyone be sad and unhappy?

Yuuki Yuuna _refused_ such future. She would _never_ give up, not like this. Not here, not now, not even in the future. Against the monster that was Vertex, she would _never_ bow down no matter what.

Even so, how could they stun it with enough time that a sealing ritual could be executed?

A ringing sound echoed in the winds. Yuuna glanced to her side, catching her fairy – Gyuuki bringing her smartphone close to her face, the screen displaying a call from…

"Tougou-san!?" Yuuna came to a stop, gasped, and moved away from the trajectory of the showering arrows of light. "Tougou-san!? Tougou-san…!? Are you okay—"

 _"Please defeat that monster, hurry!"_

Before Yuuna could comprehend her words, a whistling sound pierced through the air. Yuuna whipped her head, sensing something incoming from _somewhere_ – and a streak of light flew through the Jukai and struck the Vertex.

"That's…!"

The amalgamation of three Vertexes stopped moving. Its giant body toppled bits by bits as smokes rose from a spot where the Heroes could see something embedded in it.

Gleaming with silver light, a broken needle came into picture. It sizzled with smokes while half of its body had stabbed into the Vertex. Surprise turned into awe, but for Yuuna, a question had also risen up in her mind.

Who threw that? Her best friend? No, that couldn't be the case. The only that could do that who was not the Heroes, was…

"Ise-senpai…!?" Yuuna turned, staring at the place where the broken projectile had come from but was interrupted by the words her best friend had said.

 _'Please defeat that monster, hurry!'_

…That meant…!

"Fuu-senpai!"

"Here we go, Yuuna!"

She heard her voice and there was a sound of something heavy and wide brutally tearing the winds. It was obvious to tell as the presence behind the girl made it clear and so Yuuna jumped, rotated her body and planted her feet on the flat side of Fuu's greatsword.

The pink-haired Hero concentrated her entire power at the sole of her feet and stomped off, leaping into the air like a bullet with further assistance from her senior.

In the way, the arrows didn't come to stop her, those arrows that tried their utter best to make sure Yuuna, Itsuki, and Fuu obtained no stable footing to begin the sealing ritual. They had fallen somewhere as the Vertex had received a damage enough to stun it for a limited amount of time.

Yet there was the needle that began to materialize from inside the Vertex's body – but it was shot down by a bullet that sailed from Yuuna's side.

Explosion devoured the monstrous being from within. Pieces of it burst, revealing hollow interior which further proved that Vertex was not a living being, but there were something unsettling with the way the moved, fought, and reacted. The Vertex was retaliating despite its wound, as if it was panicking in dealing with the situation.

It was a perfect opportunity. Even as the stinger tail waved its way to swat Yuuna aside, threads like that of vines lurched and wrapped around it.

"I won't let you do as you please anymore…!" Itsuki's shout crossed through the winds, reaching the ears of the two Heroes in the vicinity.

"Go, Yuuna!" And then came the encouragement words from the club leader, Fuu.

The girl who soared through the starless sky curved down her lips before she bestowed a deadly glare at her enemy. Her dominant arm was once again cocked – and it shot forward, straight to the broken needle that _he_ had thrown to help everyone.

 _This is… it! With all of our combined strength…!_

"UuuooooOOOOOOOOOOHHH!"

Light flashed like a newborn star. Storms of cherry blossom petals scattered above the labyrinth of trees and below the time-sealed sky – then the colossal Vertex was blown away, a quarter of its body scattering into tiny pieces.

* * *

It was time.

In the distance, the regenerating body of the Vertex floated without attacking. Its body seemed as if it was curling up but Tougou Mimori knew better than to ignore the black and red corrosion consuming the Jukai.

The Vertex was a monster. It was the Enemy of the World – a nightmarish being dead set on killing the Shinju and the world. As the description in the Hero System's application said, even when it was immobilized within the barrier of the sealing ritual, it still resisted by corrupting the logic of the world.

 _I won't let you!_

Tougou pulled out the empty cartridge connected to her weapon and reloaded with a plug and pull of a newer cartridge. That didn't mean the bullets were infinite, as she could feel every recharge tiring her out more and more.

There were three cartridges left. It'd make sense for her to conserve her strength and wait for the best opportunity, or she could also overcharge her weapon to fire a blast of concentrated energy.

As Tougou observed through the sniper scope, however… Her eyes rounded up once again and she stared at the _incredulity_ of the situation in her line of sight.

"Why…" The girl whispered, afraid that this all was a bad dream.

What she saw was the objective that must be destroyed, the core of the Vertex. It had the form of a reversed pyramid and it was called as Mitama – the Soul. It was simple to understand that with it's destruction, Vertex ceased to exist and became like a crumbling castle of sand.

But little could anyone expect that the size of the Soul the enemy possessed dwarfed the size of the previous one.

"How is this possible!?"

It was big. Bigger than what she had seen before. Hundreds… no, thousands. The Soul the amalgamated Vertex had stood on a scale far off the charts. It was as if the thing had become the moon in the jet-black heaven.

There was no way anyone could destroy it. Even Yuuna, with her strength and Fuu with her transforming sword wouldn't be able to scratch the surface. _It's over—_

"Ugh… Gah…!"

Tougou heard _that voice_ and she turned, seeing a boy who was lying on his back clawing the ground and pushing his broken body to get up.

"Issei-san…!?" Tougou nearly _screamed_.

Why was he trying to get up!? He was gravely injured! If he was to exert himself further, then his life would be snuffed out! Why couldn't he understand!?

Just like she thought, the boy – Hyoudou Issei – fell flat against his back, his limbs sprawled on the ground while he stared at the sky. It was too pitiful to watch, disheartening and… and terrifying.

No matter how much Tougou scorned the boy for his frivolousness and thoughtless actions, she was scared that he would stand up and persist even if it meant sacrificing his own life. The display of recklessness and fearlessness frightened her as much as they invoked her concerns for his well-being.

Even though she knew that it wasn't her right to interfere the boy's course of actions… Maybe only this one time would she—

 _"…Not… yet…!"_

Tougou stared as the boy moved what remained unbroken of him. It was slow, but still his left arm moved, outstretched to the sky. That battered hand opened as if grasping for something… and so the girl understood.

He was saying he could still fight. That he… no, _everyone_ could still grasp victory. It didn't matter what reason was behind that stubbornness, because…

Because Hyoudou issei refused to give up, even in the face of absolute despair.

"…Issei…san…"

There was a brief silence. A very, _very_ brief silence that seemed as if time had slowed down and coming to a halt.

 _"Understood."_

Then Tougou reached to her gun, picking it up as her ribbons lifted her body and lied herself on her back; her eyes seeing nothing but the dark sky without sun, and the lone Soul… Judging from the size, it was as big as Great Pyramid of Giza, the largest of all pyramids in Egypt.

 _It's big… but in the end, it's just a Soul. It has the same weakness._

While her right hand leveled the sniper rifle upward, Tougou took a deep breath in and under her bidding, white ribbons latched on the barrel as the others stabbed into the ground beneath her. Now, all preparations for sniping were completed.

 _Can I do it,_ Tougou asked herself. Doubts filled her mind, but soon enough she pushed them away and acknowledged that yes, she could fail and yes, _she could do this_. The girl was absolutely certain while being scared at the same time. There was a dichotomy of emotions that split her heart into two, but…

"Hero Club's Five Tenets," Tougou whispered as she charged the last three cartridges into her sniper rifle. " _You're likely to succeed if you try_. My, to think I'd say this to myself…"

A brittle smile cracked itself on her face. Little did the Hero know, her shoulders were no longer tense and her breathing internal had evened. There was mysterious calmness surrounding her entire being right now.

That was why, for the current her—

"Executing scenario."

The trigger was pressed on by her index and middle finger. In doing so, a flash of light emerged from within the muzzle of the sniper rifle. That same light gathered, slowly forming into a beam of light above the sniper rifle as three fairies appeared before they scattered into blue flower petals. Tougou's verdant green gaze firmly pierced through the scope despite strength being drained from every single section of her body.

 _This is fine_ , she thought. _This is a cheap price to pay if I can protect my friends._

Even as her thoughts scattered and her consciousness faded away… Tougou opened her mouth and unintentionally whispered words that she didn't recognize yet feel encouraged by.

"…Give me strength, _Shirogane_."

The trigger was pulled and a ray of light crossed through the heaven.


	15. Chapter 14 - Fulfilled Dream

Beautiful. As his consciousness blinked like a revolving lantern, Issei stared at the ray of light that pierced through the dark heaven and the reversed pyramid known as Soul – Mitama. Silence reigned, and the blotted out sky was freed from the last vestige of the Vertex, its shell shattering into pieces while it's core dispersing into wisps of colorful light.

"I did it..."

A whisper was heard, and there was a sound of a metallic object dropped to the hard ground. Issei couldn't turn his head but he knew she was there, the brave girl who overcame her fear and succeeded in defeating the enemy. It didn't look like his help was needed. Everyone could manage just fine.

 _Ah... Now I feel sleepy._

The boy's eyelids fluttered, all sounds drowning with his sense of touch fading away. He didn't notice when his left arm had fallen to the ground. He didn't even notice that his Sacred Gear had long deactivated. The world was spotty through his eyes, vague at best and monotonous in color. It was weird, scary too, and yet he felt... calm.

 _"You can't sleep here, you know...?"_ A voice whispered.

"...Ah." Issei reopened his eyes, thinking that he had heard _her_ voice for a moment there.

He wasn't sure if it was real or not. He wasn't even sure if his ears were still working. Even so, a soft smile entered his sight from above, and the boy sighed, his eyes glazing over.

"Sorry..." Issei's shoulders relaxed, the girl's lazy smile infecting him without needing to tell or even think about. "I'm a bit tired, for now... So..."

White consumed everything. The world, him, and the blonde girl in purple and white dress.

"Next time, _Sonoko-chan..._ "

The boy's consciousness slipped away, and he dreamed of a great bridge and a seaside town bathed in the twilight.

 _"I'll hold you to that, Han-kun. For now, sweet dreams…"_

* * *

Hospital. That was actually the place Issei had woken up at, as a patient of course. The room he was in was simple, if not a little lonely. The interior had a bed for him, a hard-but-not-really-hard-looking sofa, an LED cable television hanging from the dull white ceiling, with a row of windows lining next to the bed Issei was in.

Honestly, he wondered how everything turned this way.

He came back to the realm of the living like shit, his body ringing in agonizing pain and he couldn't do much else other than sitting upright in his bed. It had been a few hours ever since the nurse – who was already married judging from the ring – contacted the doctor in light of his awakening. Not even a few minutes had passed and a gruff person in white coat alongside two adults gushed into the room.

 _Man, I caused a huge ruckus_ , the boy thought as he recalled the event that had transpired today. It turned out his parents had been worried sick and imagine the surprise Issei got after knowing how much time had passed. _An entire week! What the hell!?_

Ugh. At least he could move his limbs though it gave him a pang of pain sometimes. His parents had already gone off with the doctor so now he had nothing to do. Having said that, Issei snuggled his back against the reclining upper part of the bed to feel a little more comfortable. He moved his arms to rest beneath his head...

"Hm...?" The boy muttered, staring at his bandaged limb.

Why was his left arm bloated beyond recognition? Were his fingers this long that they looked like claws? Why did the entire forearm remind him of—

"...Oh, _shit,_ " Issei cursed. "...Ddraig...?"

Something in the back of his mind was roused and a faint growl was heard. Slowly taking up his focus, the dragon sealed in his arm woke up and...

[Yeah, it's the Sacred Gear.] Green glow pierced through the bandages wrapping the back of hand.

"My arm... is the Boosted Gear?" Issei's jaw dropped. "How..."

[The excess of Power you have generated is now leaking out,] Ddraig answered. [It's nothing you can't regulate, but you haven't even trained yourself yet so it's impossible for you to control it. What's more, you unlocked a new power with your last performance on top of everything, so this is a given.]

 _What!? No way!? It can't be...!?_

Shooting straight to a sit up position, Issei scrambled, ignoring the invisible sharp pokes to his skull and unraveled the white bandages as quick as possible. Line after line, layer after layer... and there was a scale gauntlet with five finger claws, it's red color glaring at Issei with frightening intensity that he could feel himself be blinded by it.

"...You're joking." The boy muttered, dread creeping into his body and soul.

[Should I say 'I shit you not, it's real' then?] Ddraig suggested.

 _What... That's... but that's a modern slang!_

[Meh. Semantics.]

 _Oi! Are you even a dragon!? How come you're versed in human language better than explaining old legends!?_

"Hold on..." Issei gasped. "What about the rest of my body..."

He was already screaming in the inside but he wouldn't let himself be defeated by senseless paranoia so soon. He had to make sure that nothing went wrong more than his left arm which, on hindsight, should have been the center of attention now that he think about it. Just as Issei took off the sash and hospital robe – and a redheaded girl barged into the room.

 _"Ise-senpai!"_ Yuuki Yuuna yelled, completely out of breath with beads of sweat lining down her angular face. "I heard you've... woken... up...?"

Silence.

Suffocating silence was there. The atmosphere was nothing but deathly quiet, and the air became so dense that Issei thought it became stuck in his throat. Sweat poured down his back, his expression completely frozen as he realized he had already exposed his bare chest which was bandaged and yet exposing red scales.

"...Errm," the boy began, unsure if he should cover himself up again or raise a hand to do a damage-control. "I can explain this."

A hysterical scream pierced through the quiet morning.

* * *

"I'm sorry...!" Yuuna bowed down. "I-I wasn't thinking straight! I just...! You see, everyone's worried about senpai so when I heard the news I just... Just...!"

 _Uwaaaah_ , the once again clothed Issei thought as he tried to maintain a serene air. Next to the bed, his friend was repeatedly bowing and sputtering out words like a broken cassette. It was remarkable how flustered the usually energetic Yuuna was, and Issei couldn't help but to smile since... _Seriously, what is this cute creature? I want to pet her..._

"W-Well..." Issei stuttered. "It's okay, Yuuna-chan. I screamed as well so nothing's wrong!"

Smooth, man. Real smooth move there.

"B-But..."

"It's fine, really!" Issei cut her words off. "Besides, I shouldn't push myself after all that."

Sigh. He should've known that getting hospitalized would limit him from doing anything. By anything, it was basically anything and everything. _Now that I think about it, the water pitcher is empty._

Rubbing his throat, Issei decided to set trivial thoughts aside. Looking at Yuuna who was, for some reasons, more subdued and reserved than the usual, something must be...

"Oh, right." Issei slapped his forehead, feeling like an utterly clueless dumbass.

Of course she would act like this. Who in the right mind wouldn't when they saw their friend's body being covered with red scales like some reptilian supervillain character from the Christianity Era? _You really are a moron, Issei.._

If there was a hole he could be thrown and buried in, Issei would have appreciated it. Unfortunately, luck wasn't on his side. Also, this kind of pattern usually led to... Hmm, better prevent it then.

"...Yuuna-chan?" Issei called out.

"Y-Yes?" Yuuna replied, stuttering.

 _...Should I even be doing this?_ The boy didn't want to tell the girls the truth. After knowing that they cared for him, breaking out the news became an utterly frightening thought. It wasn't a comforting matter to know that someone close to you decided that sacrificing his humanity to help them when nobody asked for it.

Even so... Even still, what kind of friends would hide a secret from each other? What kind of person was Hyoudou Issei to stop being frank to himself and others?

Inhaling, Issei met the red gaze then forced a smile. "Is everyone here too? If they are, it's alright for you to invite them as well. I... I have something to tell you all."

Yuuna, despite looking wide-eyed and opening and closing her mouth as if grabbing words to speak... She became silent, as if considering what she had heard very carefully.

"...That's..." She trailed off, looking worried for once. "...Are you sure, Ise-senpai?"

 _Sure? Huh, that's... unexpected._ Not that it'd change anything, but as Issei thought, Yuuna was perceptive. It didn't seem like there was no way around to shake her off if she was like that. _Plus, I'm a bad liar, too._

"Yeah. I'm sure of it, Yuuna-chan." Issei smiled. "Will you invite the rest of the Hero Club now?"

...This time, the answer was a yes. The boy relaxed after his classmate left the room, and already fatigue caught up to him. This was the moment of truth. Whatever stuff happening past this point...

[Are you sure this is truly for the best, partner?] Ddraig asked.

 _...Do you hate it, then?_

A grumble and a scoff were the only thing he heard. For a reply, that indicated nothing at all. It couldn't be recognized as a proper answer, but... Issei believed that was just how Ddraig was so he interpreted it the way he hoped as.

...You know. Issei had encountered a lot of words and sentences with really bad phrasings lately. _Do I have a talent in making dirty jokes?_

[What are you, some perverted old man?]

 _Shut up, Ddraig. I'm not that old, right?_

[...Well...]

 _What... What's with the pause? Oy, what are you implying there, you stupid dragon—_

"Issei!" "Issei-san!" "Hyoudou-senpai!?"

 _"Dowaaaaaahh!?"_

It didn't look like he would be given a break today.

* * *

"You. Are. A giant. Moron."

Ow. The scathing insult thrown by Fuu was the first that began the talk. With Issei lying in hospital bed, the four girls of Hero Club settled themselves with Yuuna and Tougou sitting next to the bed while Itsuki sat comfortably in the sofa. The blonde upperclassman was the only one in the group to remain standing upright and she was crossing her arms below her breasts.

 _Aaah, if only the mood allowed me to appreciate this scene... Damn, the angle is just magnificent._

"Are you listening?" The club leader glared down. "I'm quite sure that you've learned your lesson ever since the first battle. You could have _died_ , Issei. This is the second time you almost died. You even overextended yourself by throwing yourself as a distraction."

"Ugh..." Issei whimpered. "W-Well, that wasn't entirely my fault...! The bastard just—"

"Language!"

"...That _thing_ just went up and attacked me and Tougou-san," Issei explained. "Or rather, it looked like it considered me as bigger threat for some reasons. Don't know how or why but we can't just pass up the chance, right?"

Fuu stared incredulously at the brown-haired boy now. No one was speaking up beside her after she pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Issei," Fuu called out. "Are you stupid? No, wrong question. Are you crazy?"

What? What the hell? Here he was saying something that made sense but why was he being insulted like this? Issei's temper began to flare up as he thought of how... how could Fuu desist him for everything that he had done! It wasn't like he—

"Issei, Tougou told us everything, you know?"

"...Eh?" Issei muttered, all slackjawed.

As if she was expecting that reaction, Fuu took a deep breath through her nose and exhaled through her mouth. Then she huffed and released her bosom from the confines of her arms and she patted her own waist. At once, her posture relaxed as if all that interrogation-mode was a lie and her light green gaze met Issei's brown gaze.

"I'm disappointed to know that my junior doesn't even believe he's a decent person," Fuu said. "Sure you're an insufferable pervert but do you think of yourself as nothing more than that?"

"Well, that's..." Issei trailed off. "No?"

"Then hold on that thought from now onwards. This is your second order from the club leader: value yourself just like we value you as our friend. You can't refuse it."

 _What...!_

"That's tyranny!" Issei protested.

"Hah hah ha...! You think it's not!?" Fuu raised a hand to cover half of her face. "Don't underestimate this wonderful Girl Power Evangelist! I can even snort out udon from my nostrils with my girl power!"

 _Gross! And that's not an application of girl power at all, goddammit!_

"Well, jokes aside..." _That was a joke!?_ "I'm serious here. Nobody in this room doesn't care about you. One of us would have said it if they felt that way, and even then, there's no reason for us to not value you."

"…W-Why?" Issei asked. "Why would you…"

Fuu smiled. "Come on, you already know that, right? Or do we have to go through this again?"

"…We… We're… friends?" Issei murmured, taking a long time in understanding the gravity of those two words.

Friends. So Fuu thought of him as that. She wasn't lying about it, and the same went to everyone as Issei glanced over his surroundings. There was no word to better explain it. After all, none of the girls averted their eyes even when the boy had a hard time to not do it.

Fuu nodded exaggeratedly. Even so, it was like her to exaggerate and it showed that in her own way, she believed in what she had just spoken and upheld it all the way through.

Itsuki, in the meanwhile, curved down her lips and held her hands close to her heart. Again, she too gave a nod but for her, it was a soft gesture that signified acceptance and immense kindness.

At the same time, Tougou gazed at him with compassion and understanding. Her smile, though remaining elegant and fragile, was a little impish. It was as if she was saying 'I told you so' to drive her point further.

Lastly, Yuuna… She was, well, the brightest and see-through among everyone else. She was even the closest to Issei in proximity and her big smile was as infectious as Sonoko's. If he were to be rude, the girl with a ponytail had no reason to lie and so she would never harbor even a speck of it no matter what.

Thus… Issei gripped the blanket covering his lower body. His lips trembled as his tongue finally comprehended the words that he had just said. A burst of warmth and explosion flooded from his heart, causing him to shiver and Issei… He felt, _warm._

[…Are you crying, partner?] Ddraig asked.

 _…And what of it, Ddraig…?_

[I see…] he replied. [I don't think there's anything wrong with that. But if I need to say something…]

 _What is it…?_

[It's a blessing to be surrounded by people with hearts more beautiful than the most precious gems in the world.]

"…Yeah…" Issei muttered, rubbing his teary eyes and smiled. "You're right. You're _absolutely right_ , Ddraig. I sure am a lucky guy, aren't I?"

At this point, Issei could only express his gratitude. Be it to his friends for sticking with him like this, to his parents who had given him this life and raised him… Endless gratitude wouldn't be enough so he rejoiced over this small happiness and swore to protect it. No matter what happened in the future…

 _I'm going to live. I'm going to live, fight and return to this place no matter what kind of fate awaits me._

After all…

 _I've found it. The dream I sought is here, and I will hold it tight so as not to lose it. Forever and ever…_


	16. Interlude - Yuuki Yuuna

It was after the boy stopped shedding tears that he began his story.

Of his weakness and powerlessness. Of his anger and frustration at what he had been told with. He didn't want to die, nor did he want to see his friends getting hurt. Truly, Hyoudou Issei was the kindest person Yuuna had ever met.

Even so, that kindness became his undoing.

As he explained the secrets behind his power, strings of emotions Yuuna didn't know she ever had stirred within her heart. She listened to his every word, remembering every important thing that might help herself, her friends and the person he admired the most. It all made sense, now.

Issei was trying to hide his secret because he was afraid. He was afraid of being rejected and pushed aside. The boy was courageous and yet insecure, all because he believed himself as a horrible person who wouldn't be liked by everyone around him. Now that the last wall separating him and the girls crumbled, the boy's courage flared even brighter and he told everything that he had hidden until now.

It was hard for Yuuna to swallow the truth so readily. That applied to Fuu, Tougou, and Itsuki as they were also unable to accept the foolish act Issei had committed. Even with his reasoning, it was still unacceptable. After all, none of them asked for the boy to discard his humanity and normal life. To be upset would be an understatement.

In the end, Issei finished his story and everyone filed out from the room to clear their heads.

"You're not leaving, Yuuna-chan?" The boy asked.

Yes. Excepting Yuuna, everyone had left the room. The red-haired girl raised her chin, meeting his tired brown gaze and she nodded.

"Un. I don't want to leave senpai alone for now," she said. "I think you should rest too. You just woke up today."

"...That'd be helpful. Though I don't think I can sleep soundly with my left arm looking like this."

As the boy laughed, it was a clear sign that he was hurt on the inside. As far as Yuuna was concerned with, that was the sort of person Issei was. Always bright and cheerful while hiding his weaknesses off the sight.

 _It's like I'm staring at my reflection._

Though mildly curious, Yuuna pushed aside those thoughts away and she grabbed the Sacred Gear, lowering the hand down to the bed. It felt weird. Even though the gauntlet was clearly made from some sorts of alloy, there was a cold pulse throbbing in it. There was no warmth yet there was a sign of life.

Still, while the design looked sharp and cool, there was some sort of strange air about the device. Yuuna stared long at it, and she thought that the gauntlet suited Issei really well. _Huh. Well, it does look cool and heroic... or should I say dragonic? Hmm..._

The boy broke out from his stupor and mumbled, "Yuuna-chan..?"

The girl smiled. "I'm sure you will get better soon, Ise-senpai. Just rest well, alright?"

If she didn't look reassuring enough, then she would squeeze the hand tight. Forget about the seeping coldness the gauntlet had, Yuuna felt like she was burning up.

"Uh. Ah... Well," Issei stuttered. "A-Alright..."

 _Ah, I succeeded! See!? I can do it if I try, right!?_

"...Speaking of which..." Hmm? "Yuuna-chan, didn't you say that you had something to explain? About why you addressed me as 'senpai'..."

 _...He remembered it. Shoot._

"...Yuuna-chan...?"

"Eh!? Ah, uh... I don't... think the timing is right, and... Uh..."

Mmm, now I don't know what to say. How strange... Yuuna felt something was off. It didn't seem like a coincidence now. Her heart was beating faster and faster and warmth began to rise from her stomach to his face. There was some sort of... giddiness and it made the girl restless.

Still, she was a Hero. _A Hero wouldn't cower! Yes, yes! You mustn't forget, me!_

"Err... W-Would you like a drink, first!?"

"Huh... Sure...?"

 _Aaaaaaah! I said the wrong thing! You dummy! Stupid Yuuna...!_ Ugh... why did everything fall apart like this? It was simply unthinkable! Even more, she couldn't stop becoming less restless! She needed help, quick, but who would help her when she was alone with him in the same room?

...Did she just think of something weird? _Mgh... Well, no matter. Might as well as..._

"It's going to be a little long, though..." Yuuna confessed. "Will that be alright, Ise-senpai...?"

She hoped he would reject her request. For some reasons unknown to him, she hoped for that outcome. Even so, there was a split feeling since she also thought it would be nice if the boy said yes. It would make her really happy.

"...Yuuna-chan?" Issei called out.

"Y-Yes?" Yuuna replied, unable to tear her gaze away from his.

"If you're feeling unwell, you should—"

"No, I'm alright! It's nothing bad so I'll explain, okay!?"

 _...Ah! I just dug my own grave! Th-This is bad! I have to say something—_

"Well, alright then. So what's your story, Yuuna-chan?"

 _Nooooooooo!_

* * *

Half a year ago, new year had just passed. It was snowing heavily and the air was colder than during the midnight in December.

Even so, the Yuuki household's morning began with maximum liveliness and Yuuna ran down the stairs, greeting the morning with a big smile and paced to her friend's home.

"Goooooooodd morning, Tougou-saaaaann!" Yuuna announced after arriving in her friend's room.

"Mgh... Mm... Five minutes more..."

Unfortunately, Tougou wasn't really keen if a snowy morning. Yuuna poked the girl's cheek but she groaned, pursing her lips and hid herself in her futon. From the outside, she looked like a mound of fluffy cotton.

Well, it was still winter vacation so she could leave her alone. It was true that the futon was warm when compared to the weather outside. Unfortunately or fortunately, those of the Yuuki family were exceptionally trained and physically fit more than the average people. Even more, Yuuki Yuuna was famous as a boundless ball of energy.

She could even do reverse clapping when she was a baby! Still... It didn't seem like Tougou wanted to leave the house. Well, the snows were really thick too, so...

"Umm, I'm going outside for a bit, Tougou-san. Would you like me to buy something for you in the way?" Yuuna tilted her head.

The mound shivered. "...Oolong tea... Warm... Rice crackers..."

 _Huh. Well, looks like I have to go the convenient store several blocks away from here then._

With her objective updated, Yuuna pardoned herself by greeting Tougou's parents and headed outside. Dressed in a pink jacket that shrouded her long-sleeved shirts, the tail of her scarf drifted behind her while the girl paved a way through a road covered with ankle-deep snows. It was her lucky guess that she added a combination of leather boots, black thigh highs and shorts that wrapped her lower body nicely.

With ease of movement and unrivaled warmth, Yuuna hummed as she passed by the second block and took a right turn...

"...Uwaaah, the snows are really deep around here."

 _Hmm? Who is that? A boy...?_

"Come on, Ise. Make sure you shovel the snows away from the front door." Next to the boy in deep blue coat, a man who possessed striking facial resemblance with him suggested. "It's good to move around your body in this kind of time."

 _Riiiight_ , the brown-haired boy replied with a roll of eyes to the side. From the corner, Yuuna watched as the duo who must be a father and son cleared the road from snows. Though more specifically, they were trying to clear out the piling snows that nearly drowned a two-story house which as far as Yuuna remembered, was uninhabited for the past few years.

Despite complaining, the boy did his job remarkably well. It didn't seem like they need help and Yuuna didn't want to bother a bonding session between the parent and child. However, they looked like they had moved in very recently if two men in blue uniforms that were unloading a bunch of things from a truck were of any indication.

Yes. They must be coming from out of town. She should greet them, and so Yuuna did when one of them noticed her presence.

"Good morning!" The girl bowed a little.

"Oh! Good morning!" The man with glasses and neatly trimmed brown hair greeted back.

His son only raised an eyebrow, though. Still, there was a feminine voice shouting out from inside the house and the boy turned around. He exchanged looks with his father and though the latter shook his head, the boy nodded and walked back into the house.

"Sorry there." The man apologized. "We're kind of new around here. Hope we're not bothering you, miss...?"

The girl smiled. "I'm Yuuki Yuuna! It's okay! I hope you can settle in since we're proud of our town, Ojii-san! Just ask and we'll help!"

 _Hah_ , the man smiled. He nodded, accepting the gesture of kindness and thanked Yuuna. By then, the two were about to converse until the girl realized she still had an errand to do and so she bowed down in apology before running off.

Of course, she didn't forget to ask who the kind man was. She got the name of the family who moved in, and she recited the words during her walk. _Hyoudou family, huh..._

They seemed nice. There was a boy around her age too so he might as well be a transfer student. Still, transferring in at this timing would be disastrous... After all, the standard of education in Sanshu was a lot higher than in other areas. Plus, there was a History of Divine Era class which taught students about the Shinju, the Taisha and the entire history ever since the dawn of the Divine Era.

The boy would certainly need help. Yuuna was a part of the Hero Club so she was certain that if she met him again, she would lend her help. It would be sad if he was falling behind just because he was new around here.

"Welcome – oh my, Yuuna-chan?"

Huh. Looks like she had reached the convenience store. Greeting the store clerk, Yuuna asked about things she needed to buy, and she didn't forget about her friend's request. _Let's see, warm oolong tea and rice crackers... Alright!_

"That'd all be 1260 yen." The clerk informed. "Here's your change, Yuuna-chan. Thank you for shopping here again!"

"Un! Your welcome, Yonebayashi-san!" Yuuna beamed. "If you need help again, just put up a request in our club's homepage, okay?"

Getting a confirmation, the girl's mood heightened even further that not even the snows could obstruct her. She literally skipped along the way, and she met the neighbors she was familiar with. It was an uplifting sight when everyone lived their lives without worries. They could smile everyday, and it made Yuuna think the efforts done to allow one to smile like that were way worth the troubles.

It wasn't until she encountered an odd thing near a small bridge that she continued walking. Blinking, she saw the figure of a child staring at something with powerful intensity. He was wearing familiar coat that went down to his knees, his hands for some reasons not covered with gloves and It was as if he was trying to drill a hole with his glare.

The girl chose to follow his gaze and there she realized why. On the stone railings of the bridge was an adult black cat. The child – the boy with messy brown hair – was exchanging glare with it as if they were on a Wild Wild West's standoff. From the looks of it, they seemed to have been on this glaring contest like some scarecrows...

 _...I wonder what they are doing…_

As Yuuna watched with interests, the stray cat blinked. The boy then snorted in triumph with a boyish grin spreading on his face. He pointed his index finger at the cat, saying something along the line of 'Ha! You lose! Suck it, you loser!' with amazing arrogance and pride.

Unfortunately, the clearly beltless cat – which meant it was a stray – sniffed at the finger and instantly bit it.

 _"Yeoww!?"_ The boy shrieked. "Owowoww! Dammit, it hurts, you bastard! Get off me!"

The cat snarled after letting go and it launched itself to the boy. It attacked him with series of claws!

" _Gaaaaaah!?_ My face – augh! Let go, you dumb cat...!"

 _Oh no! Oh no! What should I do?!_ Yuuna had no idea as the situation escalated with the boy trying to tear the cat off him while the cat continued to leave marks of claws on him. It bit his hand which further caused the cat to fly off him – and to the river.

"Eek!?" Yuuna screamed, dropping her grocery bag but the distance was too far for her to reach it in time.

She wouldn't make it—!

" _Daaaaaaaaaahh!_ " With a fierce roar, the brown-haired boy leaped over the railings and caught the cat in midair.

 _Eeeeeh!?_

Then there was a pillar of water bursting up.

Yuuna hurriedly rushed over to the bridge, looking down to the river in panic. It was bad already that the river was shallow, it was still thick in the winter right now which meant the water must be freezing cold. If she didn't help, both the boy and the cat would freeze to death! _Or rather, are they alright!?_

"Bah! C-Cold...! Dammit, the river is so cold...!"

 _...Oh. They're alright._ Yuuna found both the boy and the cat in the canal. The water reached to his waist and the boy shivered as white breaths puffed out from his mouth and nose. His teeth chattered while the cat in his hands meowed in... _How come the cat is still dry?_

"You damn cat..." The boy cursed. "You're lucky I caught you on time. You should thank me for saving you!"

The cat snorted... Eh, _I don't think cats can do that..._

"You rascal..." The boy glowered, then sneezed to the side. "Guh... Let's just... Get out of here. Hop on."

The cat once again meowed. The frivolous reaction made the boy's eyebrow to twitch but as if it understood his words, it jumped off his hands to land on his head. The stray cat soon purred once it nested on his head.

"Y-You little...!" The boy clenched his fists. "Urgh... Fine fine… You're riding the Issei Express so just hang on, okay?"

There was no reaction. The boy sighed and he climbed off the canal. Once he returned back to the street, the boy arched his back and sneezed loudly. After he sniffed, he shook his head slightly and drooped his shoulders.

"Man, mom is going to be angry... and the house is just cleaned. Moving from Kuoh sucks."

 _Moving...? House...?_

"Come on, you stupid cat. Let's just go back. You want some hot milk?"

 _Ah. The cat purred. Is he trying to coax it to be his pet...?_ It was true that it would help a lot if there were more people who would pick up the stray or abandoned pets...

Still, the boy didn't seem to notice Yuuna. He just walked away, all of his clothes wet and his complexion pale. Looking at his hands, they are losing colors, turning into pale white and blue color but the boy didn't say anything about it.

He just moved on regardless of what had happened to him. While he complained, he didn't even once lament his fate and with steady gait, it was as if the boy would keep on doing everything in his own way no matter what happened. Always determined and keeping to his own codes... unburdened even with immense pressures on his shoulders.

"...Could it be..."

The girl didn't know who he was. She had never seen him around the town even though she was born and raised in Sanshu. There could only be one explanation as to why she had never seen the strange boy.

"Hyoudou... Issei." Yuuna whispered, recalling the boy's feature and the name that slipped from his mouth while he talked to the black cat.

The girl wondered what kind of kanjis were used to spell his name. She rolled the words in her tongue carefully, thinking over her strange encounter with him and his subsequent chain of recklessness that calculated not even the dangers to his own safety.

A strange person. Hyoudou Issei was a very strange person. He was reckless, impulsive, and he clearly had a rough tongue when his button was pushed. Even so, he saved a cat that harmed him. He cared enough that even though it was merely a cat that was in danger, he would do anything to save it.

Just like her. Just like the Hero in the picture book stories she once read. Just like the Hero she wished to be.

"Hyoudou Issei-san..." Yuuna murmured. "Issei... Ise... _Ise-senpai..._ "

The girl didn't notice that her cheeks had loosened with a small smile crawling onto her face. She didn't notice how the surface of the canal reflected a pink blush like the color of the cherry blossoms.

It was at that morning in winter did Yuuki Yuuna met her Hero.

* * *

"So, like that." Yuuna finished, no longer able to hide her embarrassment and nervousness.

It was a little mercy that Issei didn't cut in or give his opinion. Honestly, that was the most nerve-wracking event the redhead had ever experienced. It was cruel how she was driven into a corner like this. Not even Tougou could do that when she was mad, you know? _Can you believe that, senpai—_

"...Huh," Yuuna muttered, finding that the boy had long closed his eyes and slept quietly. "...Geez. You should've told me if you wanted to sleep..."

 _Idiot,_ she thought. Here she was pouring her heart out, and yet the boy she admired had the gall to take a nap. What was the point of all that, then? Was the story she retold was only a bedtime story for him? _You're a big idiot, senpai.  
_  
Even so, she liked him like this. She didn't dislike his selfishness. The boy was always doing whatever he wanted, and he wore his heart on his sleeve. It made her increasingly aware that the boy was too honest for his own good. She hoped he would notice that being honest had a limit somewhere.

Still, that was fine. _You're perfect the way you are, senpai.  
_  
As Yuuna about to pull her hand back, she noticed it was stuck. Her red eyes moved down, finding the red gauntlet had somehow vanished and in return, a very normal-looking hand of a boy was there, holding hers in a tight grip that didn't hurt at all.

"...What." Yuuna muttered.

Surprise. Relief. Worry. So many emotions flowed from within her chest. It felt as if a dam had been broken, and not even a second later and the world in Yuuna's eyes grew blurry.

"...Uh... I'm sleepy..." The girl sighed. "Nap... Sleep... but where...?"

As she lolled her head, the drowsiness was growing more and more. It was as if her entire energy was drained off. Why? She didn't do anything much besides visiting the hospital every day. Even then, she too didn't forget to make some times to participate in club activities. _Could it be because of that?  
_  
Yeah. It must have been due to that. Yuuna had run ragged for the past week, and now exhaustion finally caught up to her. She couldn't rest _yet,_ but she thought that maybe... just maybe, a little nap was fine. _Yeah, there's nothing wrong with that_.

As her consciousness drifted, Yuuna rested her head on the bed close to Issei's left hand. With her hands taking hold of his and with her head encircled around her arms, the girl closed her eyes and heaved a long, relieved sigh.

 _"Good night... Ise-senpai..."  
_  
The sounds of the wavering curtains toyed by the winds faded. The warmth of the spring relaxed her mind. As the maiden fell into a peaceful slumber...  
 _  
"...thanks... Yuuna-chan..."  
_  
The dragon whispered, bringing words that echoed and vanished like the chime of a bell.


	17. Chapter 15 - Fun-loving

Waking up to unfamiliar ceiling, Hyoudou Issei groaned, sensing his throat drier than asphalt showered with midsummer sunlight. His bleary eyes picked up vague details from the far right, and there was a figure of white... A person on his left side.

Before he could ask one of the six basic questions, the silhouette of a person voiced out a familiar greeting.

"You up already, _champ?_ " A voice that clearly belonged to Hyoudou Ichiro – _his father_ – echoed with a chuckle. "Your friends already went back home, you know?"

As Issei's eyes grew accustomed to the world surrounding him, he could see his parent's broad smile and he just knew what he was about to say next. That was why the boy grinned as well, trying his very best to look smug.

"They're all good girls," the man agreed. "Make sure you treasure them all. One of them even stayed with you while you slept like log."

"...Oh, that was Yuuna-chan…" Issei explained but he suddenly entered a coughing fit. "Ugh... I'm thirsty."

"Sure. Anything for my son." Ichiro nodded, grabbed a pitcher and an empty glass before he poured water into the latter object.

"Thanks, dad." Issei accepted the full glass and slowly refreshed his throat. "Ah... Much better."

For some reasons, that earned him a short laughter. Gee, why would a parent laugh at his son like this? Was he making fun of him? Not that this had never happened before and more importantly...

"So..." Issei looked at his father with an eye. "What were you talking about with the girls, dad?"

"Oh? I didn't expect you to eavesdrop, son." The man replied.

As if. The only reason why Issei would wake up when the sun had yet to set meant his sleep was interrupted. He was sure something must have happened but since the only clue was his father's presence and his words... _Well, you know what I mean._

Shrugging, the head of the Hyoudou family leaned his back against the chair he sat in. "We talked about a lot of things although it's mostly about... Well, do I need to call them your 'Grand Adventures'?"

"'Grand Adventures'...?" Issei parroted in wonderment, only to gasp in horror. "That's... Don't tell me...!"

"Yeah, well. I know that I said it's fine for you to be upfront and bring back a girlfriend or two, and that only men with similar views on appreciating women's beauty can truly be your best buddies." _Huh?!_ "But don't get overboard. You should be more subtle in your endeavor, Ise! Especially when you make a plan with your friends!"

Err... What...? He was complaining about subtlety? Now that Issei thought about it, he, Matsuda, and Motohama were always competing in how to get the best view to peek on the girls' changing rooms or during the swimming class. In the end, they argued and yelled and sabotaged each other which caused them to be caught red-handed even though they had yet to do anything. _So... If the three of us worked together without going all noisy, we could have succeeded?_

"Though saying that, restraining yourself is a must. We're no longer in Kuoh so you should tell that Matsuda and Motohama to make better plans that don't use sacrificial pawns in any part of them." Ichiro crossed his arms. "After all, if the three of you are truly comrade-in-arms, you must be able to stay together until the very end. It's a Bro Code."

Whoa... That was unexpectedly detailed and informative. In more ways than one too, but that meant his father must have experienced something similar. Now Issei's respect had risen!

Still, the flow of the conversation was getting creepy. Who would report his deeds to his parent? As far as he know, the people who would say things out without worrying about receiving other's ire was...

" _Mgah_." Issei slapped his forehead. "Fuu-senpai, why did _you_ do that...?"

"Oh, that. Well, that girl has more experiences in interacting with those younger than her," Ichiro shrugged. "Plus, it's her duty as a leader and supervisor to report to me."

"Ugh... That, but that's just unfair...!" The child weakly protested.

"The world isn't always fair, Ise." The adult countered.

 _Aaaaaagh!_ The logic! The _impeccable_ logic! What had he done for him to be surrounded by so many people smarter than him?! Was this his punishment for being an utterly irredeemable pervert!? _I'm sorry Shinju-sama, so please give me a break!_

"Setting that aside..." _My plea was heard!?_ "Take a look at your left arm, Ise."

"Huh?" Issei tilted his head, and complied.

Just like that, silence prevailed. It was as if all sound had died but there wasn't any tremor or blinding light so it wasn't anything to worry about. Yes, nothing to worry except _his arm had returned back to normal. Human. Limb!_

"Abwha?" Issei muttered, not knowing what to say.

His father grabbed said left arm while he pressed his other hand on his chin. With a thoughtful look, he examined the arm like an expert.

"It does look like a human arm, yes," His father said. "But I can sense a foreign flow of power from it. In appearance, this arm is definitely humane but on the inside, it's _definitely_ something else."

"...So... I'm still a part-dragon?" Issei wondered aloud.

"Basically," Ichiro said. "Perhaps you're slowly learning how to transform your body, Ise. There are stories where people transform into serpents or dragons in every corner of the world. There are also stories where dragons transform into humans to live among them, so I don't doubt your capability to change your appearance."

Well, that was... helpful? Very informative too, Issei believed, but...

"If you know so much why didn't you tell me before?" The boy asked with frowning eyebrows.

"Because I don't know how dragons wield magic," Ichiro replied. "Believe me, Ise. There's not much I can find from Taisha's historical records with my status and position. On top of that, ever since the end of the Old Era, Taisha possesses only a small number connections and rarely could we get many information from overseas."

...For real? Issei wasn't sure what to think of that, now. He didn't know the details about this Secret War and what he knew all came from other people's mouths, not from official sources. Seeing there was also no reason to doubt his father, the boy decided to move on to another topic.

Issei couldn't even do anything right so far. To be distracted from other things would just make everything worse than as is. _I can ask dad later about the outside world when the war is over…_

"...Thanks, dad." The boy put up a smile. "For telling me this all."

Yet the man shook his head. "Silly brat. It's not me who you should thank, but your friend."

 _...Huh...?_

"My friend...? Who—"

"Of course it's Yuuna-chan. It was her that held your hand while you slept, right?"

"...Ah." Issei made a sound, feeling like a fool now. "Wait, so it was Yuuna-chan who healed me...? B-But how...?"

"Well, I'm not sure how but it is her duty to act like a proper Shrine Maiden." Ichiro shrugged. "Just so you know, though we call her and her friends as 'Heroes', it has been a long tradition to call them as Miko-sama (Shrine Maidens) in Taisha. They _do_ serve Shinju-sama directly, and what do we call maidens who perform religious rituals around here?"

What...? That couldn't be...! Issei didn't know that the girls all had that trait! Or rather, this was so unexpected that his thought screeched to a halt before rebooting in light speed just so that images of his friends wearing white-red Shrine Maiden outfits could appear in his mind...!

"...My life is a supernatural dating sim with a series of combat mini-games." The poor boy planted a hand on his face and groaned. " _Are you kidding me?_ "

"Nah, this isn't a joke." The boy's father said bemusedly. "That's why you should ask your friends to work at Taisha sometimes."

 _...What?_

"Is that a pun?" Issei asked, doubting his hearing.

"Well, Taisha (Amnesty) is Taisha (Grand Shrine), you know?" His father shrugged, only to frown afterwards at the deadly silence. "Come on now, son! Give me some credits for having a _pun_ -ny sense of humor!"

"Yeah..." The son nodded and gave the flattest gaze he could ever give to his parent. "How about – NO."

* * *

"Remarkable." The man in neat white coat but smelling like antiseptic leaned back in his chair. "I see that your wounds have mostly closed up. At this pace, it will only take you one more week for a clearance to leave the hospital."

Well, that sounded like good news, alright. As Issei stared listlessly while his parents discussed about his recuperation with the doctor-in-charge, he tuned out almost everything to focus on the task at hands, and that was keeping himself from vomiting out his breakfast. Hospital had various chemicals and drugs stored in it so for his sharpened senses, the place was just _unbearable._

Still he preserved and after going through the scheduled rehabilitation session for his arms, the boy was back in his room – not at home, of course – conversing with his parents until they left to work. There was slight problem since his mother gave lectures once-in-awhile to both him and his father but Issei thought of this as normal occurrences. He couldn't imagine what kind of expressions his parents had when the boy was admitted to the hospital and the thought sometimes haunted him.

"Haa… I'm worrying too much." Issei pinched the bridge of his nose and ran his hand over his brown-head.

[Worrying about what? You don't look like it.] Ddraig remarked with a scoff.

That… prompted the user of Boosted Gear to knit his eyebrows. Even with the gentle breeze entering the room, Issei couldn't hide his irritation. The Welsh Dragon _really_ ticked him off for once.

"Right. As if you would understand since you're not the one who must _clean up the piling homework from school!_ "

Yes, indeed. Now that Issei could walk around, he's got no choice but to work his ass off due to missing school for the past two weeks. It was incredibly disheartening to know that despite fighting to protect the world, he was still given homework and assignments to do from school. Also, unlike his friends, Issei must work extra hard to even get average scores.

He had no natural talent after all so the best and only way left for him was to burn his free time with studying. Unfortunately for the boy, the school he transferred in held a higher standard than the previous one so he had to burn the midnight oil for more times than necessary.

"Seriously, I hate you, Vertex." Issei grumbled then chewed his pencil. "Why can't they stop bothering us and just go back to wherever they came from?"

[A good question,] Ddraig quipped. [Still, I'm pretty certain they don't listen to puny humans' voices. The lot of them are all just monsters dedicated to fulfill their duty.]

"And this so-called 'duty' is destroying the world, isn't it?" Issei scowled. "I don't think I'm ever going to give my sympathy to them."

[That's for the best, don't you think, partner? Otherwise, they will just rob you from everything you have.]

Yeah… Sounded about right. Once he sighed, the boy in hospital robe let go of the pencil, letting it to clatter on the stand with a built-in table. He pushed his homework away and afterwards he slumped his head against the reclined bed.

"That's it," Issei announced. "That's it for today. Now, let's discuss about something different. Something like… strategy meeting and plan for the future."

There was a snort coming from the depth of his mind but Issei identified amusement in it. It didn't seem like Ddraig was against it so the boy took the chance to start the topic immediately.

"So… eight more to go." Issei slid his arms beneath his head, and stared at the dull white ceiling. "Will the next one be stronger than before?"

[Possibly,] Ddraig readily answered. [Vertexes learn from past mistakes and improve themselves within each encounter. They're extremely committed to not repeat the same failure. Thus, it's impossible to predict their patterns unless you fought them for the last thousand years with no defeat on your belt.]

How reassuring.

[Technically, you can already live for several centuries now that most of your existence has gone through dragonification, partner. A little bit more and you'd be my successor in all but name and power.]

 _…Seriously?_ "I… didn't know that. Is that bad?"

[If you think of it by outliving your peers and family, then perhaps it is. Especially when you become a full dragon. By that point, lifespan becomes a foreign concept and as time goes by, your power will steadily increase.]

"That's…" Issei raised his head, only to look down as seconds passed by. "Now I have no clue how I feel about this…"

What was he _supposed_ to feel about it, anyway? So not only did Issei gain power, he also obtained some sort of immortality in exchange of watching everyone that he knew passing away in the future. That might mean he was going to be stuck with agelessness and his father said he could just up and change his appearance freely but…

Was that alright? Was it alright for him to just go and outlive everyone? Would that mean he was going to watch his parents closing their eyes on their deathbeds? What about his friends? Was he going to be forced to just stay still, locked in time while they moved forward and vanished from his life one after another…?

"It's… Sorry, Ddraig. Can we move to another topic?" Issei's question was nothing other than pleading by now. "This is… _a lot_ to take in."

[Oh. So you don't feel happy despite acquiring what mankind desired from time immemorial?] Ddraig asked back. [No matter though. It's your choice to be in denial and this is a consequence of your own action. As long as you don't forget, then I too will not say anything else.]

Now _that_ stung. Hard. Issei winced at the statement thrown by the Welsh Dragon, but he couldn't be upset since there was no malice dripping from those words and what Ddraig said were all correct. It still didn't mean he could just accept and resign himself to his fate…

Not when it was a choice forced to him.

[So,] Ddraig continued on. [I believe that rather than worrying about the enemy's next move, there's a more crucial matter you must attend to, partner.]

 _…Huh…? Why is this dragon sounding so formal now of all times?_

"What do you mean? Is there even something terribly important for me to do besides getting out from this damned hospital?" Issei asked.

[Of course there is. After all, it's _you_ we are talking about.]

 _Me…? What kind of—_

[You're way too weak. If you don't at least strengthen your base strength, then you're going to die pretty soon.]

 _What!?_

"Is-Is that true…?!" Issei almost jumped off the bed. "No, wait. I kind of get it but am I seriously _that_ weak…?"

For some reasons, he got the image of a bigass dragon crossing his arms and huffing inside his mind now. _Ugh, the imagery…_

[That's right. If it's not obvious, then do I need to note your past performances? I _did_ say that you're the weakest host I've ever partnered with.]

"N-No way…"

Like a crumbling sand castle, Issei slumped down and lamented. His mental health was about to reach zero! How could he kept on living like this? Did that mean he was going to turn into mincemeat in the future encounter with the next enemy? The future suddenly looked incredibly bleak!

"C-Can't you do something, Ddraig…?" Issei asked.

 _Please, please tell me there's a way! Don't leave me hanging!_

[…Well,] Ddraig said. [You can try asking that slacker of a living goddess for one.]

 _Whut?_

* * *

As expected, fighting in her current state was way too taxing. Sonoko sighed a a little as she once again gazed at the sky above the Great Bridge that once connected Shikoku with the Honshu island. It was once a truly big and long bridge, amazing in design with even more breathtaking scenery should a Flower Calming Ceremony occurred. There were also wind chimes and stones engraved with the names of high-ranked families governing the Taisha, but ever since the Battle of the Great Bridge, that scenery was utterly destroyed.

 _Well, it was also because I went all-or-nothing too_ , Sonoko added with a quiet giggle. However, that small gesture prompted a few reactions but since her guests were preoccupied by their own circumstances, the girl chose to just relax and doze off.

"...Your goddess is way too carefree," someone said in a gruff and deep, almost growling tone of voice. "Actually, how in the name of Zeus's toga can she act like this considering her state? Is her mind made of steel or something?"

 _Aww, that's rude..._ Sonoko didn't think twice to voice out her protest now. Her attendants and guards were also helping which made her beam a wide smile after lifting her chin. _Smug~_

"...I so want to punch her...!" Someone with bleached hair said before he was gagged.

Sonoko's smile persisted. This amount of violent words could never be enough to ignite her anger, much less irritate her but well, naughty boys deserve some punishment right? With a nod, a fairy flashed into existence and vanished in a swirl of violet flower petals.

You could see her guests tensing up but unfortunately or fortunately, the target she had in mind was only one person and so the man with wicked expression shrieked, his priest garb vanishing and leaving behind only green boxer with star motifs on it. His clothing was replaced with red rope that was tied in a turtle-shell bondage style, and while he was already forced to sit in formal posture, a good set of five concrete bricks fell onto his lap.

Surprisingly, the sound he leaked afterwards was in-between horrified _and_ ecstatic muffled moan. At least his companions weren't giving him sympathy though they probably thought they would be humiliated in the same way as this edgy madman with a thirst for blood and non-consensual depravity.

Oh, yeah. Sonoko didn't expect that men could react like this too so she asked her loyal attendant to take a note of it. It might provide a good material for a side-project, if she ever had the thought of writing it.

"Hmm..." Then the superior of the ragtag bunch hummed as if deep in thoughts. "Your taste is unexpectedly mature for being a middle schooler, girl."

" _Oho?_ " The living goddess turned up a pleased smirk. "Actually, this is just something I learned from my friend. Wasshi is _really_ skilled in scolding bad children."

Now her mood was back at full health. It was a truly pleasant surprise to be able to flaunt her friend's achievement, and Sonoko was happy about that. After all, Gin, Wasshi and Sonoko had sworn their selves to be 'forever friends'. Even when the bedridden girl alone who could remember that promise, it was fine, for she possessed the trace of those bright and beautiful memories.

"Sonoko-sama." _Hmm...?_ "Your phone. It seems your friend wishes to talk with you."

Oh. Had she gone into a tangent again? In front of the guests, too? Now this was a very _biiiig_ problem. She must rectify it!

"I wonder who it could be... _Oh my_." Sonoko beamed as her fairy – Kurama Tengu – brought over her phone near her face.

She requested her other fairy to accept the call, thus a strip of the screen turned green and the communication channel was established. The blonde girl greeted first to strike the initiative.

"Hi hi~ This is your goddess everyone loves, Sonocchi speaking~"

 _"...Errm..."_ The caller finally replied after a few seconds passed. _"Yeah, okay... Well, you're the same as always,_ Sonoko-chan. _"_

Sonoko laughed. "Is that so~? But I'm really glad I can speak with you again. How are you over there, _Han-kun?_ "

A boyish chuckle was transmitted.

 _"Heh, well, you know how it is. I'm as fit as fiddle!"_ Issei replied spiritedly.

Well, that was good to hear. Sonoko actually wasn't sure since all the Sacred Gear users she had met thus far were different in their own ways. The boy she was communicating with through the phone was not excluded from the list and Issei's Sacred Gear was a Longinus; it worked in a manner unlike all the things she had ever seen.

 _"Actually, are you busy?"_ Issei asked. _"I have... A lot of stuff to talk with you, and a bunch of things to ask about."_

That sounded important. It also sounded very serious too, but looking at the row of prisoners – err, _guests_ – this would be... _Oh, I've got a bright idea!_

"It depends~" Sonoko sang. "If it's about my three sizes, that's a secret!"

 _Ah_. Why was there a sound as if a plastic object fell to the floor? Oh, wait, there were distant noise like a case of... Coughing fits? Yeah, that and sputtering of gibberish words. Well, she assumed it was just Han-kun being Han-kun, easily flustered and all that.

" _Hellow~?_ " Still the living goddess insisted on playing her role. "Are you okay, Han-kun?"

After a moment, a cracked 'Yeah' traveled from the other end of the line. The girl nodded despite her grin getting even wider and light of amusement dancing in her eyes.

"She's as evil as fox!" Someone shouted. "How is she a goddess – _bgah!?_ "

 _Oops. Sorry, there, Makura Gaeshi. That one isn't supposed to be buried under a mountain of mattresses. Ah, well, it's entertaining but make sure he can breathe normally, okay?_

 _"Err, Sonoko-chan...?"_ A small pause appeared. _"What was that...?*_

"Oh, it's _nooothing_." The living goddess of Taisha giggled. "I'm watching TV right now~. Maybe I turned up the volume too high? It's _veeery_ boring here without you and your stories, Han-kun."

 _Lies and slander_ , another person screamed before he drowned in a haunting dream, courtesy to the anteater fairy, Baku.

"Uh... Where were we again?" Sonoko tilted her head. "How long are you going to stay in the hospital, Han-kun?"

 _"W-Well, maybe less than a week if I started early."_ On the other side, Issei inhaled. _"...I think I need help here, Sonoko-chan. I'll ask for the three sizes only when we're alone_. _"_

Whoa. Did she just hear her friend asking for help? The friend who piqued her interests and had all the traits that seriously made Sonoko wishing to tear him for twenty-hour-seven? What was the last words he said, though? _Mmm, unfortunately, I couldn't hear it very clearly, boo._

"Go on... I'm listening." Sonoko answered with a nudge of head.

Again, there was a stuttering in the background and though the crowds around her were more or less the same, the girl could sense her first male friend steeling his heart. As she waited, she could hear his breathing interval and she thought it was as if he was going to confess his love through the phone...

Well, she doubted that would happen so soon. She was sure Issei would prefer going upfront and asking for her hand in marriage after a couple of successful dates. The boy was just _that_ serious when it came to relationships but aside from that, she could tell where this talk was going to.

 _"My…_ mentor _said I should ask you if I want to be stronger,"_ Issei finally said. _"Will you help me, Sonoko-chan?"_

 _...Oh, my_. Sonoko raised her left hand to cover her lips that threatened to split her face in two with a huge, dopey smile. Her remaining eye took the chance to round up like saucer. There was a flash of light like a thunder in her brown eye and then said gem moved to reflect the figure of a burly man that definitely looked like he belonged to America or some European country which still survived even until today.

"...I don't know what you're talking about in the phone," the man the goddess laid her eyes on stated. "But I don't like how you look at me. And that damn smile is telling me I won't like what I'm going to hear."

" _Mhmm!_ " Sonoko giggled instead of answering properly. "Alright then! Since this will be beneficial for every party involved..."

The girl waved an index finger, then pointed it at the ex-Greek Hero she had defeated and captured together with his merry band of Stray Exorcists.

"Heke-san, would you like to be a training instructor~?"

" _Heke...!?_ "


	18. Chapter 16 - Mystery?

Time flew by really fast. For someone like Itsuki, spring was a season that appeared way too late and ended way too fast. It felt as if all the storms that have passed for the past month was a lie, but of course she couldn't deny the truth. That was just how it was for everyone, right?

Still... The girl with short blond hair glanced to the kitchen, observing the back of her older sister. Seven in the morning and Fuu was already cooking breakfast with extras enough to fill in three lunch boxes. If she remembered correctly, the unfortunately healthy menu was hers, the medium portion was for her beloved sister and the last one was for...

"...Onee-chan, aren't you cooking a bit too much?" Itsuki decided to step in to the kitchen area. "Even Hyoudou-senpai won't be able to eat that much, right...?"

Cutting her humming short, Fuu's light green eyes moved from the stove and she raised the spatula to flip the omelette on the frying pan.

"Ah, well... My sweet little sister, Onee-chan does think that she _might_ have made too much as well."

 _Eeeehh...?_ Itsuki wasn't sure of what to respond now. Shaking her head, she looked at the omelette... Well, at this point, stopping in the middle would just leave a bad aftertaste and she of all people knew that her older sister didn't like abandoning her responsibility.

Ever since their parents passed away two years prior, it wouldn't be a lie that Fuu had become a wonderful maternal figure to Itsuki. It was as if she had matured several years faster and because of that, the two could remain living in this apartment without being pestered by suspicious parties. It was truly a good thing but deep down, the younger Inubouzaki sibling hated herself for indirectly causing Fuu problems. Had it been not for her and her devastation over their parents' deaths, Itsuki was certain her older sister could have enjoyed her school life properly.

As she stopped herself from going on a tangent, Itsuki sighed exaggeratedly. "Onee-chan, I'll help too."

"Eh? But you can't even do laundry, Itsuki..." Fuu blurted out.

"Th-That's not the point here, okay!?" Itsuki sputtered. "It's just, uh, we can just share the rest with everyone."

"Ah..." Fuu made an understanding sound. "Yeah. That can also work. After all, we're going to celebrate our friend's full recovery."

 _Mhmm_. Itsuki recalled that everyone had been waiting for this day. What was more, the weather was nice and the sky was clear from clouds. Thank Shinju for this small blessing.

Hence Itsuki smiled. "I'm sure Hyoudou-senpai will be happy, so make sure you don't mess this up, okay, Onee-chan?"

To that question, Fuu reeled back, her cheeks turned red and she groaned in resignation.

"Ugh, I _knew_ that sleep-talking is never a good thing..."

Thus the older Inubouzaki sibling complained.

* * *

At last, Issei had taken back all of his freedom. He was really overjoyed that he was about to cry! After all, he had basically wasted almost an entire month by being bedridden and hospitalized. Admittedly, it was partly because of his own stupidity and carelessness, but at any rate...!

"Freedom at last!" Issei laughed with arms stretched to the sky. "Ah, how have I missed you, o world!"

[You're exaggerating it, partner...] Ddraig sighed in the back of his head but the boy had no interest in caring about such trivial problem.

What mattered the most was that he was freed from the blasted hospital! Did Ddraig even know how it felt being stabbed with big syringe a couple of times every few days? Did he even sense the scents of drugs and antiseptics? No, of course not so as if he could understand his suffering!

"Whatever you say, Ddraig!" Issei skipped his way through the familiar route he always took to reach the Sandhu Middle School. "Damn, the weather is nice! Aaaah, I can even smell the salt from here...!"

Yes. He was so glad that he no no longer had to see the doctor and his _goddamned_ sterile clinic. He was so grateful that he even thought of offering Shinju a couple of his favorite erotic magazines. Surely, God would accept any kind of offering as long as the intention behind it was sincere, right?

"Oh?" Just as he passed by the rows of students, the boy picked up whispers and hushed mutterings.

It wasn't exactly something he liked, to eavesdrop in the open like this. Even so, he couldn't help it since his senses had already been altered and upgraded to an inhuman level. Back before the second Vertex's invasion, this was one of the reasons why Issei couldn't concentrate on classes, all because he had changed physically to the point that he was at the brink of madness from the dilemma in handling the changes to his normal life.

Of course, after the battle, he told his parents and friends about what he had gained in exchange of his humanity. At least now he prevented any future misunderstandings from happening and he could act like the usual him around everyone, but still...

"This is getting ridiculous..." Issei mumbled, shifting to autopilot halfway down to his classroom. "I wonder why would Taisha put up an excuse of me having a duty that is vital to the town's well-being..."

Yeah, that. This wasn't something he expected. Or rather, who would expect his deeds to be publicized in a very half-assed way that it was neither the truth nor lie. Words traveled fast about the entirety of the Hero Club suddenly vanishing from their classrooms, and the reason given by Taisha was that they had a sacred duty to follow, one that concerned the whole country and such.

 _This is just asking for troubles,_ Issei concluded. His gaze flickered and then he realized that he was about to pass by his classroom. Stopping himself, the boy turned around, walked to a side of the doors and slid one open.

"Morni'n...!" Issei greeted his classmates – and he was tackled by a bald boy and a glasses-wearing boy.

"Ise, you bastard...!" Matsuda suddenly yelled.

"How dare you to go ahead by yourself and steal all the cute girls!" Motohama followed with an accusation.

They cornered the brown-haired boy and their expressions were like the avatars of fury. Well, beside the falling tears from their eyes and their deformed faces, perhaps. At any rate, Issei didn't understand what was this all about but he flicked his eyes, noticing that the entire classroom buzzed with terribly loud activities. Among the chattering audiences looking from the doorsteps and behind the line of windows that separated the classroom and the corridor... There Issei recognized two extremely familiar faces.

 _Ah, Yuuna-chan! Tougou-san!_ Issei rejoiced at the fact they were doing alright. Excepting Yuuna, the other members of Hero Club rarely visited him ever since his 'grand revelation' which, to be perfectly honest, was understandable all things considered. Tougou and Itsuki saw how he got blown up and resurrected back to life in a heartbeat... Fuu was the person who told him to find shelter with the previous two... _Well, I_ did _do something that can never be taken back without asking for consent first...  
_  
Sigh. Despite the resolution to his past deeds, new problems still popped out like some sort of wild grasses. Oh well. The boy knew that if he wanted to become closer with everyone close to him, what he must do was to take the initiative without holding back, just like Itsuki dictated. Indeed, this new and improved Hyoudou Issei would become the storm that would sweep all these troubles his past self had ignited!

"Stop ignoring us, you bastard!" "Go to hell...!"

 _...You know what? Maybe I should first get rid of these two before all that. I'm still not sober enough to deal with madness early in the morning like this._

* * *

After classes ended and everyone filed out from the classroom, Issei pounded his stiff shoulders lightly. His neck voiced a solid _crack_ when he moved it around, showing that despite him being a part-dragon, some stuff didn't change at all. _Man, I better do a workout or I'm going to be like a shriveled old geezer way way earlier in the future.  
_  
"Ah, Ise-senpai!" _Hmm?_ "Will you be going to the club room? Why don't you join us?"

Glancing, Issei noted Yuuna sliding the door open with Tougou positioned to face the corridor. The latter gave a quiet nod though her eyes seemed apologetic, probably on behalf of her best friend.

"Well," Issei replied. "Sure! Why not?"

The redhead beamed as the boy approached her. The three soon left the classroom with no hurry though Issei glanced back, catching the sight of his brothers-in-arms dropping their jaws. He first gave a nudge, entered the hallway and closed the door – not without delivering parting words to Motohama and Matsuda.

"See ya, guys! I'm gonna hang out with the Hero Club again!"

Then the door closed just like that.

"...Ise-senpai can be vicious at times, huh?" From nearby, Yuuna commented dryly.

"Nah. I just want to rub a sandpaper on those guys' faces for once." Issei shrugged. "But more seriously, I got kicked out of the class in the first period because of them so repaying them is the right thing to do, right?"

 _If you say so,_ Yuuna replied, unsure of what to say. In the meanwhile, Tougou put up a thoughtful look with two fingers pressing on her chin.

"I see... 'Every Deed Deserves Their Just Reward'," she said. "I believe that is a famous phrase that appeared a few times around the time the Era of the Lord ended. I never expected you to take a note of such a profound wisdom, Issei-san."

 _Uuuuhhh... Not at all?_ Issei just wanted to mess with his friends, really. He wasn't planning on being philosophical or stuff like that. Heck, he would just be seen as a weirdo if he suddenly spoke with Hiroshima dialect without a reason, and he was a pervert, a reckless bullhead, an idiot, a giant pervert, _and_ a part-dragon. _I'm already weird enough as is so no thanks in getting even weirder, thank you very much.  
_  
Still, due to him not answering, the mood had grown awkward. Yuuna's smile stiffened while Tougou seemed to be lost in thought. Looking at his friends, Issei had no other option beside bowing his head a little and scratching the back of his head. _Ddraig, what should I do!?  
_  
[You change the topic, of course. What are you, a dimwit?] _Great idea!_

"A-Anyway." Issei coughed into his fist. "Let's just get going. I don't want to get Fuu-senpai's wrath when I just got back to school."

"That's true..." Yuuna laughed as she began pushing Tougou's wheelchair forward.

"Hmm, I don't think it will be a problem, though..."

 _...Huh?_ "Tougou-san? What do you mean by that...?"

 _Well,_ the black-haired Yamato Nadeshiko inclined her chin and stared at the blue sky beyond the windows. Unfortunately, there was nothing odd about the scenery and so Yuuna and Issei tilted their heads, deciding to wait for a more concrete answer from their classmate.

Noticing their reactions, however, Tougou giggled and put up a soft smile. "You'll know when we reached the club room."

Now Issei wasn't sure of what to do again. Should he be worried about his safety or should he record the smile of his friend into his memory? Tougou was acting all coy and mysterious. Heck, she even raised an index finger near her lips to multiply her charms by manifolds. If compared to the unknown factor that was waiting in the Hero Club's base...

 _Oh, who am I kidding with?_ Of course _I'm going to treasure this scene forever! Everything else is for later!_


	19. Chapter 17 - Deep Thoughts

"...Say, Yuuna-chan, Tougou-san." Issei flattened his gaze. "Did you see the same thing?"

The two girls who accompanied the boy only nodded in response. Though saying that, it was better to say they were speechless after what they had just seen. Of course, it would be unwise to not explain why so Issei identified the door leading to a certain club he signed himself in out of power beyond his control.

He was supposed to be happy about returning back here, or at least have a mixed feeling about it.

Seriously, he had the intention to come here every day from now onward or whenever he could make it. The Hero Club was a place he had found by accident but it was a godsend as being there allowed him to gain some confidence in himself. Obviously, it wasn't much and Issei believed that he was still useless but the feeling wasn't as unbearable as before.

As long as he worked hard and be upfront to his heart, he _knew_ that everything would be alright.

Yes. This too was nothing but a trial he could overcome. Even if it looked like a joke, it must have some meaning in its own way! He could tell that his club leader was just messing with him! He wasn't thrown into some wonderland where Vertexes were all anthropomorphized cute girls in revealing traditional Shrine Maiden garbs! _Yet!_ So he was definitely still anchored to reality!

Thus, taking a deep breath, the brown-haired boy slid open the door – and suddenly a fanfare almost pierced his eardrums.

Black cloak fluttered into view. In front of him, a horned blonde girl laughed like a deranged maniac and spoke out loud.

"Ha! So you have come at last, Heroes!" She dramatically swung her arm and covered the left side of her face with her dainty hand. "Today will be the day you shall rue your insolence—"

Issei slammed the door shut.

" _Oooooooooyy!?_ " A muffle scream roared from the club room. "Don't just shut me out! This is already the second time, dammit!"

"Nope," Issei said, taking the chance to turn around and go back the way he came from post-haste. "Nopenopenopenope!"

Behind him, Yuuna gasped. "He's running away from reality!"

"That won't do." Tougou nodded, her hands moved – and Issei tripped.

"Bgah!?" The boy grunted, and looked back. "A-a booby trap!?"

Since when had a booby trap installed in the corridor!? Wasn't that dangerous? What if other people were caught by it!?

"Alright, Yuuna-chan. Please drag him back to the club room." _Eh!?_

"O-Okay!" _Eeeeergh?!_

Thus Issei tried to get up only for his legs to get pulled by Yuuna. She easily dragged the boy and the door to the club room opened – possibly from the inside – with the doll-like feature of Itsuki appearing while saying 'I'm so sorry...' in a small whisper. Regardless—

"No! Not gonna happen!" Issei whined, clawed the floor and resisted no matter how unseemly he had become in appearance. "Today's supposed to be _a normal school day_ with _normal club activity_! Not like this...! It's not supposed to end like this...!"

Then the dramatic fanfare switched into a more sinister tone.

" _Muahahahahaaaaa!_ Now give me your soul, young Padawan!" The villain commanded.

" _Noooooooooo!?_ "

That day, a hysterical scream resounded throughout Sanshu Municipal Middle School.

* * *

"I think I'm going to go bald in the future..." Issei sighed before he drank the oolong tea prepared by his adorable junior.

"I'm sorry, Hyoudou-senpai." Itsuki offered a token of sincere apology with a deep bow of head. "I couldn't stop Onee-chan from getting carried away..."

Actually, stopping Fuu from overreacting would be next to impossible. Heck, even fighting against Yuuna was much easier than dealing with the lump of madness that was Inubouzaki Fuu's streaks of eighth grade syndrome relapse. Not that Issei had ever won against his classmate but anyway, the scale was way too different. The comparison he believed as appropriate would be the difference between heaven and earth, really.

"Yessh... So, is there any request I can handle?" Issei looked up to meet Itsuki's gaze and she smiled sheepishly.

"Umm, there aren't many we can't do in the club room."

 _Is that so?_ Issei thought that a volunteer club with appealing homepage and impactful presence would garner a lot of attentions but it seemed like today was a slow day. Well, the boy could live with that. He wanted to do something, _anything_ , because hospitalization killed him a little on the inside.

[You're just bored to death. Admit it, you overly-energetic brat.] Ddraig snarled.

 _Shut up, Ddraig_. At least wanting to do something was better than being stuck in an ancient relic and freeloading in a lot of people's bodies.

[Yeah, right. That doesn't faze me anymore so try harder.]

 _Mrrrgh... Annoying...!_

"Okay, then!" Then all of a sudden, Yuuna jumped off her seat. "Me and Tougou-san will go out clear some requests!"

"Oh, have a safe trip!" Fuu shouted from the far side of the room. "Tougou, make sure Yuuna won't go overboard again!"

 _Huh? Overboard...?_

"Alright, Fuu-senpai." Tougou nodded with a smile.

"Eeeehh...? It was just one time so why..." Yuuna quietly complained.

"Eat well, rest well," Fuu countered. "Hero Club's Tenet. Not everything can be solved by efforts and willpower alone, Yuuna."

 _Fiiiine_ , the redhead conceded. As she left the club room with her best friend, the club room was conspicuously quiet and calm, not like the usual. However, the Inubouzaki siblings were unperturbed and they worked with no change to their performance.

"I guess this is normal too, then..." Issei murmured under his breaths.

"You said something, Issei?"

" _Eh?_ Ah, no, not at all! So what am I supposed to do, Senpai?"

Fuu popped her head out from the part of the room that was walled by lockers and shelves. She made a thoughtful hum as the dull side of the pink pen she was holding pressed on her chin.

"Well, you can start by sorting out the things in the cardboard boxes over there." Fuu pointed with her pen to a corner of the room. "Itsuki, give him the list."

"Alright~." Itsuki replied, paced to the shelf and searched the racks with a trace of her finger.

Meanwhile, Issei watched the timid girl earnestly accomplishing her duty while mumbling 'Not here. Not there. And it's not here either... Hm, where was it again?' without being aware of the volume of her voice. She looked like she was having fun, which was quite a rare sight since... Well, Issei didn't exactly know much about her or even the rest of the Hero Club.

Should he ask them something? He didn't want to intrude the girls' privacy, if he could help it. After all, he wasn't being completely honest in the past so he wasn't sure if he could just up and talk about their life outside of club, school and Hero duty. After consulting with his father, it seemed it was better if he could be more tactful and considerate on the girls.

"…But I don't get what that means…" Issei absentmindedly spoke to himself.

"Ah, found it!"

 _Eh, for real?_

With that being said, looks like it was time to work. Settling down on the designated workplace, Issei started by reading the instruction in the printed out request and looked at the cardboard boxes. It started with much difficulty but as time went by, the boy began to adapt and grasped a sort of understanding. His eyes flicked to read the name of the next object on the list, his right hand rummaged the box and picked up an item which he then proceeded to place in the correct box. Rinse and repeat.

The task was surprisingly mundane, if not boring and strenuous to the eyes but Issei found comfort in it. After all, he didn't know that there was a certain procedure in handling stuff depending on their types. Also, sometimes he took out a really weird item like a horrible wooden mask or a porcupine figurine made from seashells so the task was interesting in its own way.

"Oh, you're good with your hands." Issei glanced back and found Fuu folding her hands under her bosom while bending her upper body forward. "I thought you'd throw the items all over the place after getting a mild case of boredom."

"What do you mean by 'a mild case of boredom'...?" The boy showed a flat stare. "I'm pretty sure I'd be fined for breaking stuff if I did that. I don't want my allowances be cut in halves again, no thank you."

"So you did something like that in the past... Now I'm worried."

 _Argh_. Issei knew he shouldn't have even bothered. Fuu was a tricky person when she wasn't acting as if she was several years younger than her real age. She didn't seem like she was thinking whenever she said something ridiculous but... Well, he was a prime example of talking before thinking so... Yeah. Fuu didn't act like him when he was distracted.

Not even for the least bit, actually. Was it her own way of making a joke she was usually unused to? It would make sense if it was just her trying too hard in acting like a comedian, but again. Why was she trying so hard to pull the act?

"...Say, Issei." Fuu stilled, and then shook her head. "Actually, after the requests are cleared, let's take a break."

...Huh? What did he just hear? Was Fuu being... considerate? Eh? What was this all about...?

"Errm... Sure?" Issei replied, his word naturally twisted into a question for affirmation instead of as a statement.

Still, true to his senior's words, the three members of Hero Club took a break after their tasks were finished, and gathered around the four table that were grouped together to form a giant one. Issei sat across Fuu who positioned herself with Itsuki next to her. The two were unusually serious...

"Uh..." Issei started. "So—"

"Ah, right. Itsuki, can we have some tea?" Fuu swiftly interrupted.

Not even giving the boy a chance, Itsuki readily prepared the tray and mugs and teapot. She poured three glasses of tea then served everyone before she settled back in her seat. By that point, there was just no point in breaking the awkwardness by himself so Issei just looked at the older girl... and she nudged him to take the first turn.

What... What the heck? What was going on here...?

[Just shut up and accept the opportunity, partner. It's not like you will lose anything, right?] Ddraig asked.

...Good point. Nodding to the Welsh Dragon's advice, Issei grabbed the glass filled almost to the brim with warm tea and he took a sip of it. The liquid refreshed his throat and warmed his stomach; said warmth further spreading to every inches of his body.

Little did he know that his shoulders had relaxed by themselves. Even if it was only for a little bit, Issei's brain churned and processed a good chunk of things, enough that he could deduce the gist of the situation at the very least. _But... do I have to take the initiative?_

Issei glanced at the Inubouzaki siblings. "Say... What's this all about, Fuu-senpai? Itsuki-chan?"

There was a brief silence. It was broken by Fuu's sigh and that caused both her underclassman and sister to look at her.

"Well," she paused, then scratched her head with a grumble. "Ugh. Where should I even start?"

So she wasn't thinking things through?

"Stop right there with that look, Junior-kun! Just... Just give me a little bit time!"

Uh-huh. That'd be quite alright if the sun wasn't about to set in two hours. Issei had additional plan today and he just couldn't miss it.

"Please keep it simple, Senpai." The only boy in the room requested.

I know, Fuu whined dramatically that she repeated herself. After a roll of eyes, a case of unable to stay still, and a bout of glare... The twintailed blonde finally resigned herself as she slumped back in her seat.

"Say, Issei." Fuu called out. "Was it painful?"

"Huh...?"

What was that? What kind of question was that? Issei blinked several times as his mind couldn't process the question so easily, but he pieced the puzzle almost immediately when the only thing that reminded him of pain was...

"Are you... Still hung up about what I told you?" Issei nearly dropped his jaw. "W-Why?! Didn't I say that it's not your fault, Senpai!?"

"But you gave up your humanity. How is that acceptable to you?" Fuu stood off her seat. "Look here, Issei. Had I not told you to find the others, you wouldn't have get hit by the Vertex. You wouldn't even have to abandon your normal life, or even have your arms full of holes!"

What...? Why would she say that? How could she thought of it like that when everyone fought so hard while risking their lives?!

"That's not your place to decide, Senpai. It was all me! I decided to help everyone! Why do you have to take the blame like that—"

 _"Because I'm the leader here, you dumbass!"_

At that moment, everyone was overwhelmed by Fuu's hoarse yell. Issei... He wanted to yell back at that stubborn display of idiocy but then he noticed the girl's quivering hands, and the glazed eyes that threatened to spill tears.

"You could have _died_ , Issei." Fuu exasperated. "You could have lost everything you hold dear. What about your family? What about your dream? Your life still have a long road to go. You still have dreams you want to pursue…! Someone like you still have a lot of things to do before you can go up and throw your life or identity away!"

The girl's words were contradicting her anger. It was... It was strange, and shocking as Issei couldn't help but to listen to Fuu's incessant rants. She reprimanded him, told him what consequence would await him and yet... and yet, for some reasons, she was telling him all kind of words that seemed as if he deserved more than her.

That... What the hell? Why would she put herself down like that? Why would Fuu feel so responsible about this all? Was it because of her duty as an agent of Taisha? Was it because of her duty as a Hero? Or was it because...

" _Onee-chan._ " Itsuki's voice rang like a wind chime in the summer haze. "You shouldn't say that, you know?"

Fuu gasped as her little sister took ahold of her left hand. She held it tight with both of her hands, and she smiled softly, her feature soothing and calming the hot air that filled the room.

"You can't do that, hurting yourself like this," Itsuki whispered. "Hyoudou-senpai too wouldn't want you to be like this."

After all, she paused, and gazed at the boy. Her smile was soft and brittle. It was fragile, as if she was forcing herself to show a reassuring expression. Even so, there was strength in that smile. There was courage in her green eyes and so Itsuki continued on.

"After all, there was no other choice. It was all Senpai could think and afford to." Itsuki gave a nudge. "Isn't that how it truly is, Hyoudou-senpai?"

...That was... It was...

[True,] Ddraig finished. [Like I said, your luck is shitty, partner. Those things can detect Sacred Gear wielders regardless of whether they have awakened or not. And when there's a Longinus around, their priority changed to first eliminate it before all else.]

...Ah... Yeah, that was right, now that Issei thought about it. He did have that kind of assumption when he fought that needle launcher Vertex. The Vertexes were all ridiculously aggressive when he entered the fray and even when he was very far away from the Heroes who were really close to them, he would be targeted regardless of it all.

[They hate the Longinus,] Ddraig explained further. [A spear that can kill god isn't something that can ever be underestimated, and neither can my presence be ignored by those things even if they don't want to. Ever since the beginning, our elimination have been in the forefront of their mind, partner.]

...So that was how it was. The boy really didn't know what to say, honestly. However, that still wasn't an excuse to not say anything.

"Yeah, well..." Issei cleared his throat. "Itsuki-chan's right. Please stop blaming yourself like that, Fuu-senpai."

"But...!"

Issei promptly raised a hand.

"Alright, enough. We're supposed to take a break so please just settle down for now. That can be for later, Senpai." Issei gave the two girls once-over. "Besides, I don't think I can hold myself back from hitting you and threatened to steal your first kiss like I did to Tougou-san if this continued on."

Then the air froze.

"You..." Fuu took a deep breath in. "You _what!?_ "

Eh? Oops? Did he just make a slip-up?

[Yes you did,] Ddraig sagely answered. [You're going to get killed, partner.]

"Uhh..." Somehow, the windows looked incredibly pleasant to check now. "Gotta go buy a snack soseeyalatersenpai!"

Hyoudou Issei slammed open the window and leaped off the club room. Not even a few meters had been crossed by him and a mad roar pierced through the school building, its mere volume alone enough to crack glasses and caused a certain redhead to trip over her feet while she was at work.

"You lecherous _fiiiiieeeenddd!_ " Fuu screamed. "Give me back my sympathy!"

Sorry, but Issei never asked for it!

"That's it! I'm not going to give you the lunch I cooked for you as a token of apology!"

 _Wait, what!?_

* * *

As the sun set, the sky was dyed with orange. Leaving the school gate were five middle school students with four of them being girls and one of them being a boy. Hyoudou Issei sighed as he was finally released from the clutches of the purely evil senior who remained walking while fuming.

When he encountered Yuuna and Tougou during his escapade, they were already told beforehand by the wrathful Fuu and thus he was apprehended with a punch to the guts and turtle shell bondage rope confinement. Of course, it was quickly followed by a great amount of scolding and Itsuki wasn't even trying to help. In the end, it was due to the school's announcement in closing the school gates which became his saving grace but as you can see... The mood had yet to change much.

Also, how could Fuu swiped clean three lunchboxes by herself? Even though one of them was apparently made for him...! Now he couldn't get his first lunchbox prepared by a cute girl, dammit!

"Look," Issei said, refusing to recall the nightmare and punishment that would surely appear in his dream tonight. "That wasn't on purpose, okay? Tougou-san was just..."

"Oh my, what is it about me?"

There was a crack of whip.

"...Uh, never mind." The boy waved at the 'Speak no more or I shall punish you' warning. "At any rate, it was a spur in the moment thing. Also, like I said, it wasn't my intention at all to be hurt. I'm not a masochist, Fuu-senpai."

"...And why would I believe that?" Fuu glared. "You look like you're having _fun_ when you were tied by Tougou."

That? That was easy to explain.

"Vertex isn't cute enough to turn me on!" Issei protested, then threw his hands to the air. "Jokes aside..."

"Eh? That was a joke!?" Yuuna gasped.

Issei had no intention to drag the topic further so he pointedly ignored her surprised words. After clearing his throat again, his brown gaze met green and he grinned.

"I just want to live and see you all again," Issei said. "I don't want to give up on my dream. Neither can I forgive myself if I merely watch you girls fighting out there. To me, that's just unfair, Senpai."

The girl who heard those words stiffened, but still she bit her lips in frustration.

"No," she replied curtly. "The unfair one is _you_ , Issei. We didn't ask you to be a shield, a bait or even a distraction when you could barely stand upright. That's just not right."

"And it doesn't settle with your streak of self-destruction?" Issei asked. "Senpai, I already said it. It's not your fault. I didn't even know the Vertex has a bone to pick on me."

With the newest information he obtained from Ddraig, it had a lot of effect in his exchange with his friends. There were still some aspects that needed to be questioned such as why would Vertex try to destroy Sacred Gears and their users first and foremost but it looked like the monsters born from the Virus simply detested Gods that their symbol of miracle was more than enough to infuriate them.

It made a lot of sense that a world-ending abomination would hate the Creator of everything.

"Onee-chan, stop being stubborn already." Itsuki chided.

"Ugh. But Itsuki...!"

" _No. Buts._ "

Again, the girl was being more responsible than her older sister could ever be. Itsuki was an angel, indeed, and as Fuu's expression twisted and turned with a lot of signs of agony... She breathed out in resignation.

"Fine... While as a leader I can't still accept that but fine already. I get it, okay?"

At last! Even her tone of voice was back to normal! Issei pumped his fist in his mind and the rest of his friends smiled warmly at Fuu who for some reasons focused herself on the road ahead.

"But no future stunts," the girl ordered. "That applies to you all, girls. I won't accept no as an answer."

Oh, so it was another abuse of authority. Still, Issei was pretty certain nobody had the intention to do that. He knew that the girls had self-control more than him, and... _Yuuna-chan is probably the only one who's going to be reckless so I'll keep an eye on her._

They were just that similar.

"Haa... Somehow, I'm feeling uselessly exhausted today." Fuu rotated her shoulders. "Ugh, this is going to affect my blood pressure. I'm sure of it."

Eh? What are you, some sort of old housewife? Issei suddenly had a flash of an image about his senior in an apron while taking care of a bunch of enthusiastic children who wouldn't listen to her most of the time. That... That was pretty attractive, but it wasn't an image he expected. Or rather, that was one hell of a picture to imagine...

Shelving the thought aside, Issei bantered with his friends. It wasn't much as the talk naturally proceeded on discussing about today's requests which somehow devolved to eating udon again at Kameya. It was kind of surreal but as the Hero Club approached a four-way intersection, a certain object in his pants' pocket vibrated and Issei fished out his phone.

"Ah," Issei muttered before he looked to the Inubouzaki siblings, particularly the older one. "Umm... Fuu-senpai, sorry but I'm going to take my leave here."

There was a round of surprised sounds but Issei had no time. The notification he received was pretty clear in telling him that he had to be on time so...

"Sorry! I'll make up to you later but I've got an errand to do!"

"Eh? O-Oy, Issei!?

* * *

Unfortunately, Issei had already left and turned around a corner, leaving the sight of his friends for the rest of the day. Left unheard was...

"Ah, geez." In front of her, Fuu grumbled. "What the heck is his problem, that boy..."

"He's like a storm, isn't he?" Tougou sighed. "I think only Susano-no-Mikoto-sama would be that free-spirited."

Everyone unanimously nodded at that. It wasn't wrong to say that and to tell the truth, it was impossible not to think of the boy as a storm bringer.

"So… What about you three?" Fuu suddenly asked. "What do you think?"

Yuuna stiffened, Tougou's smile faded away and Itsuki blinked. That was a very sudden question, even from Fuu. Yuuna wasn't even sure if she could switch the topic right away, and yet…

"I don't think there's anything wrong with Hyoudou-senpai." Itsuki said, drawing the attentions of her friends and family at once.

The girl fidgeted a little. It was the proof that she was still shy and weak when under the pressures but anyone could tell the intense light dwelling inside her eyes.

"That's… because… Hyoudou-senpai promised that he will not do it again," Itsuki elaborated. "I don't think he was lying when he said that."

"Itsuki…"

"Oh, and… I don't think he can lie. After all…" Itsuki looked at Yuuna, and she giggled. "Hyoudou-senpai is just like Yuuna-san."

 _…Eh? Ise-senpai is like me? What does that even mean?_

"If you put it that way, now I can't disagree anymore…" _Eeeeeeeeehhh!?_ "And you, Tougou?"

As Fuu gave the wheelchair-bound girl a nudge with her gaze, she… didn't take long to respond.

"I… am not so sure," Tougou honestly answered. "Setting aside his latest stunt, I can at least pardon him for… giving up his humanity."

The girl seemed to detest the last four words. It was clear that she held a form of distaste to a sacrificial act, and Yuuna couldn't miss it even if she didn't want to. Thus she called out to her and Tougou shook her head.

"And…" The black-haired girl clasped her hands together. "And I want to put my trust in him. I'd like to believe in him."

 _…Ah?_ "Tougou… san?"

Her best friend curved down her lips, forming a weak smile.

"It's… I know it's baseless, but I can't help it." Tougou laughed. "That boy doesn't give up even when he can't do anything. He's just way too stubborn. I doubt he will ever stop moving forward even if there's a cliff right in front of him."

 _Because that is just how he is,_ the girl in the wheelchair finished with a fond gaze. A gaze that was unfamiliar to Yuuna who was her best friend.

"…Tougou-san…"

It was strange. It was strange, that expression Tougou had in this moment. The girl had thought that she had known everything about her best friend, but this was the first time she had ever seen her wearing such a… _beautiful_ expression.

She didn't know what to take from that. On one hand, Tougou was the epitome of beauty like a blooming flower right now. Just watching was already enlightening enough. Basking in it by being the closest to her somehow made the redhead to skip a beat and yet at the same time, caused a twinge of discomfort within her. A little bit more than before. A little stronger and distorted than before.

Yuuna placed a hand on her chest where her heart resided in, and asked herself. _What is this feeling…?_


	20. Chapter 18 - The Great Bridge

A boy was seen approaching her altar. She could sense his presence, bright and warm like a bonfire in the darkness.

Opening her eyelids, brown eye stared at the sea that reflected the glimmering sunlight and then hovered at the ruined shape of the Great Bridge. That magnificent bridge built by people from the Old Era, the place she held so many memories in...

"With this," she said. "I'm leaving him in your care, Heke-san."

A man grunted as he got up from lying on his back near a small shrine

"Yeah, yeah. 'Train the Sekiryuutei until he can live through hell' – that's going to be a lot of fun, alright." The exiled Hero snorted. "Make sure you're going to release the brats, now."

The living goddess giggled. "Are you worried about them?"

"One of them can go die in a ditch but it's my responsibility to babysit them all." The man shrugged. "They don't have anywhere else to go back to, after all. It's going to leave a bad taste in my mouth if I can't even herd idiots like them."

 _So you actually can be considerate_ , Sonoko commented with a light smile. With this, she was glad that she didn't have to dispose her guests.

" _Sonoko-chaaaan!_ " Then came a familiar voice. "Wait, who's that?"

The girl smiled. As her only working eye moved to reflect the figure of a brown-haired boy in orthodox school uniform, she watched him alternating his gaze from her to Heracles.

"Bah. What the hell is this shrimp?" He started with an insult. "You're not even worth of my time, brat."

The boy raised his eyebrows. He instantly glared and pointed at the Hero.

"You! What's your problem!? Who the hell are you and why are you with Sonoko-chan?!"

 _Oh, that's a good line_. Sonoko decided to jot down a note and use this line in her next novel. Secretly, she asked for her fairy's help and after that was done...

"Oh, shut up." Heracles grunted. "It's not like I ever wanted to be here or even stay near this she-devil."

 _Hey! That's rude, you know?!_

"Anyway... You." The Hero nudged. "You're so weak I can squash you like a bug."

 _What_ , the boy replied but that was a terrible mistake. Sonoko was the only one who sensed the Hero's movement and flash-stepped his way to appear behind Issei. The boy widened his eyes, immediately turning around but it was too late.

"Grit your teeth, kid."

Then he was sent flying with a strong punch to his side.

Sonoko watched as he felt the slight tremor running across the ground, the sound of dry impact and the following parabolic line her friend's body carved in the air before he disappeared into the Seto Inland Sea in a pillar of water.

"Wow~ You're merciless, Heke-san." Sonoko commented.

"If he can't even dodge that then he's got no talent." Heracles grunted. "And here I thought we hit a jackpot. I'm going to file a complaint to Cao Cao later."

Despite his barbed words, Heracles walked back to his previous position and went past the small shrine. He grabbed the railing with his big hands and he gave a sideway glance to Sonoko.

"So I have to train that wimp and make a man out of him?" Heracles asked.

"Un! Can you do it?" Sonoko asked.

As the sounds of crashing waves echoed, a second pillar of water spiked out and flying to the sky was a glimmering warrior in red armor.

"You bastard!" Issei yelled. "What the hell was that for!?"

 _Wow, that's a huge jump..._ Sonoko wished she could clasp her hands to express her awe. She was sure there were a pair of boosters like a rocket thruster on Issei's back and the design of his armor was very striking. _Hmm, I'm sure I can use that design._

Ignoring her internal musing, however, Heracles chuckled.

"He's got the guts, huh?" The Hero clenched his hands, bloodlust oozing from his entire being. "Fine! Let's test your strength first, Sekiryuutei! Come at me!"

Then the Hero soared to the sky with a powerful jump. Sonoko was sure magic was involved, since not even enhanced humans could be strong enough to jump over three-story tall building, but ignoring her thoughts, her friend and her newly added minion in probation exchanged blows with the former immediately getting blasted away to the Great Bridge.

Issei screamed as he crashed into the structure. Piles of dust and dirt scattered and the remnant of metal structures whined behind him. The boy didn't give up though. He leaped out of the ruins and clashed against the descendant of the famous Greek Hero from the front.

Of course, only shameful defeat welcomed him.

"Gah!" Issei flew and skipped over the surface of the sea before he skidded to a stop at the beach. "D-Damn it...! Not yet! I'm not done yet!"

Even though he was outclassed in all aspects, the boy continued to get up with a roar. His legs ran through the sandy ground and he propelled himself, shooting up like a rocket toward Heracles who landed to stand before his path.

"Weak!" Heracles shouted before he grabbed and smashed the boy to the ground. "Try again! You think you can scratch this me with that kind of power!? I haven't even used my Sacred Gear, brat!"

The Hero kicked the boy off and he crashed to the sea. Thankfully, it was on the shallow part so the water only reached up to his calves.

"Damn… it…!" Issei cursed, but Heracles sneered and crossed his arms.

"Enough complaining, you wimp! You want more power, right?"

The boy stilled. He looked in bewilderment at his opponent with his mouth hanging open.

"H-How did you…"

Heracles shrugged. "Doesn't matter how. What matters is you, and that hopelessly fragile body of yours."

 _It's a grave weakness,_ he said without mincing words. _I'm surprised you're still alive for this long with that kind of strength,_ he further added, much to the rage of the boy.

"What… What do you know!?" Issei screamed, and dashed forward. "What the hell do you know!?"

He used his booster to achieve unimaginable speed. Had there been ordinary people around, all they could have seen would only be a red blur. Even Sonoko was sure that without preparations beforehand it would be difficult to dodge that attack, but…

"Like hell would I know, you freaking dumbass!" Heracless side-stepped, clenched his hand and fired an uppercut that connected with Issei's chin.

The boy's body flew like a thrown boomerang. Issei spun as pieces of his armor scattered while his scream faded as fast as it appeared. Upon crashing to the ground and creating a small crater, the Greek Hero scoffed with a cold gaze.

"In battle to protect the world, it doesn't matter what kind of shitty story you have in your life. The monsters that are Vertexes will _never_ care about that," he said. "You speak of why you are weak? Bah! Stop prattling and just eat your damn medicine!"

Cracking his knuckles together, the two-meter man spread his legs, lowered his hips and raised a combat stance. With his arms set right before his face, it was a posture meant for close-ranged combat, and if combined with his aura, Heracles became an imposing figure to untrained fighters.

Sonoko could tell that Issei was flinching. There was raw _power_ emitted from the body of the member of the Khaos Brigade, and she narrowed her eye a little. It seemed that even though he defected his country, that organization was capable of maintaining the strength of its members to the point that the likes of Heracles was capable of acquiring tremendous strength.

 _But at what cost?_ "Abandoning your homeland, your family, your friends and the people who worship you in exchange of endless pursuit to 'save' the world… huh?"

Looking back at herself, Sonoko sank in deep thoughts. Even so, she didn't let it affect her very much as she shook her head and watched from her altar. The battle had been broken off by Heracles' words and yet he proceeded to take up the chance for himself.

"Boy," he called out. "If you seek strength, then do not doubt yourself. Show your efforts, temper your will and desire from the depth of your heart. If you can do it, then the Sacred Gear will respond to your wish."

 _Which is why_ …

"Come and get it." He taunted. "This is your first lesson: Waver not, yield not!"

"Gh…!" Issei growled. " _Ddraig…!_ "

[BOOST!]

Green light shone from the boy's Sacred Gear. The Boosted Gear bestowed him a tremendous increase of overall strength and at once his armor repaired itself through consumption of energy.

Hyoudou Issei roared as he leaped forward. He smashed his fist to Heracles who deftly parried it and launched a counter blow to his guts. Issei's body bent as air was thrown out of his lungs.

Even so, the boy refused to submit. Sweat trickled down his cheeks alongside saltwater and gritting his teeth, Issei returned the blow with a punch to the face.

"Not bad," Heracles said without showing any sign of damage from the attack. "That's the spirit, _Sekiryuutei!_ "

"Nggh…! _OoooooOOOOOOOOOHHHHHH!_ "

With sunlight as the backdrop, the two Sacred Gear users fought against each other. Seconds turned into minutes, minutes passed into hours… Even when the starry sky swallowed the sun, and even though the face of the moon had left its hiding… The two continued to fight each other.

In the meanwhile…

"Huh..." Sonoko tilted her head. "Looks like Heke-san already forgot that he's supposed to teach Han-kun, not beating the pulp out of him..."

Then again, this would help immensely. There was no time for Issei to build up his strength. While the Oracle had yet been passed down, there was no telling when the Vertex would attack. The air of uncertainty had always been there, hiding beneath the peaceful life of the people inhabiting Shikoku – no, Japan.

In that case, the best way to bolster Issei's strength would be to give him experience of no-hold barred fight, a raw combat experience that could push him to the very limits and further accelerate his growth as a fighter. It was actually not a very humane thing to do, but both Sonoko and Heracles knew the truth of the world. _There's just no time left to be at a loss and wander around in worries…_

The living goddess looked up to the heaven. The darkness that was the night had long arrived. The stars shone together with the moon, and as she heard the sounds of crashing waves…

"…You are always watching over us, aren't you…?" Sonoko whispered.

* * *

When Issei came to, the first thing he saw was the starry sky.

"Ah, you've woken up..." A familiar voice reached his hearing. "Thank goodness. It will be difficult if you sleep here all the way till the morning."

 _Eh?_ Issei blinked, rubbed his bleary eyes and slowly got up. There was prickling pain coursing through his body but it wasn't as painful as when his arms were pierced through with giant needle arrows. Yes, he could obviously endure at least this much of agony. The durability of a dragon body could never be scoffed at.

"Uh… Huh?" Issei looked to the side. "Sonoko-chan…? Wait, why am I on the floor?"

The bedridden girl in blonde veil of hair let out a humming sound.

"After wringing you dry, Heke-san dumped you here," Sonoko explained. "I asked for Taisha's assistance since you were badly hurt. Though nobody can heal broken bones, at least minor injuries can still be tended~"

Ah. That made sense. Otherwise, Issei wouldn't have to be hospitalized and he wouldn't have to rest for three weeks. Even so, the fact that he was soundly defeated _really_ depressed him…

"It's okay, you know~?" Sonoko smiled. "I'm sure you will be stronger. You picked up a lot of things just from one confrontation, Han-kun~"

"Well, that's because I seriously think I am going to die…" Issei admitted. "It was scary, you know? I almost thought I really died a few times. What the heck was his problem, that guy?"

Once again, the girl made a thoughtful sound. Issei waited while watching his friend and… Now that he thought about it, this was the first time he visited Sonoko ever since he was taken to the hospital. Thinking back, he was unable to move freely and his body wouldn't do what his mind ordered to do.

If compared to Nogi Sonoko's situation… he was in a position infinitely better than she could ever be, or even want to.

 _God-fucking-dammit, why can't I be given a little break in life…?_

"Well." Sonoko drawled. "You see, Heke-san is a guest from overseas. I guess you could say he's a kind of merchant but since he did something _really_ bad, he's grounded here indefinitely."

Huh… So he was from overseas. That explained a lot about his behavior. _Tougou-san would have a field day if she ever met that bastard._

Setting that aside, this answer confirmed his suspicion. "So… Sonoko-chan, are you a Hero too? Just like that guy from earlier?"

Issei didn't dare to meet her gaze. It was hard not to when he was watching the sloshing waves, the glimmering sea that reflected the light of the stars, and the glowing moon hanging above the ruin of the Great Bridge. If he were to give a further observation, he could see tilted giant structures and a partially destroyed building that was half-submerged into the Seto Inland Sea, and to tell the truth?

It was beautiful. This scene would have been worth of a million yen had he not imagined the kind of natural disaster which created this picturesque scene.

"…So you found out?" An almost faint answer traveled through the cacophony of crashing waves.

Issei scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, well… My old man addresses you with a lot of respect and every time I came here, a lot of the masked people bow down to you in deep reverence. Also, it's weird how a foreigner with a Sacred Gear popped out and beat the crap out of me upon first contact."

The last one was probably unrelated in the grander scheme but Issei couldn't help having suspicions about it. He didn't want to be so suspicious but he was getting heavy paranoia. His parents were always avoiding issues he wanted to know and his friends knew nothing about what he knew even when he dropped some clues about it.

The only one who probably had the biggest chance to know everything was the mysterious girl he encountered under the guidance of his father.

"I see… So, what do you know so far, Han-kun?" Sonoko asked.

Well, that was once again a difficult thing to explain. Issei rubbed his sore left arm and he breathed out after several minutes had passed.

"The world outside died off from a Virus," Issei started. "To protect what's left of Japan, Shinju-sama took root in Shikoku and established the Walls to prevent the Virus from spreading."

There was no response so the boy decided to continue on.

"300 years have passed ever since then. Everything has been peaceful so far that illnesses from the old era like the Sky Fear Syndrome faded away." Issei scrunched up as the kind of illness that made someone to be scared of seeing the sky was like some sort of B-Grade horror movie's plot hook. "But the outside world that is contaminated with the Virus _somehow_ gave birth to the Vertex. The monsters originating from a deadly Virus want to eliminate any trace of life in the planet and so they consider Shinju-sama who's protecting what's left of all living things as their nemesis."

The rest was simple. Heroes were selected by Taisha to fight off the Vertex's invasion and Sacred Gears were relics from the old era that had survived to this day.

"I can… kind of understand why this war is a big thing." Issei nodded, his arms slowly moving to support his body by pressing the hands on the floor. "I mean, we're fighting to protect the world. If we lose, then everything will be over. Mankind will be wiped out and the world will just… die."

It was unthinkable. No matter what, Issei couldn't imagine what kind of future the end of the world could be. The planet was already at the brink of death thanked to the Virus and yet Vertexes wished to finish the job by nailing the coffin which would contain the remnant of life which had survived for 300 years.

The boy's heart clenched as the thought of seeing his family and friends dying. Not only because he was no longer a mortal with limited lifespan, but also because the kind of threat the Vertexes carried. He didn't want to see that future. He was afraid of that possibility to come true.

"Say, Han-kun..." _Hm?_ "You see... It's true that I'm a Hero, but... technically, I'm no longer one."

Huh? Issei raised his eyebrows but ignoring him, the girl in faded purple hospital garb raised her hand to touch her chest. Her eye looking forlorn yet her lips curved into a thin smile that was both frail and strong; a contrasting expression that carved itself in the boy's heart.

"I know what you want," Sonoko said. "However, the truth isn't something so pretty. You see, there are some things that shouldn't be said to protect your happiness. To lie is, to put it simply, another way for you to protect everything you hold dear."

"...But..." Issei retorted. "Lying is bad, Sonoko-chan."

"Un." Sonoko nodded, closed her eye and tilted her head. "I think so too, Han-kun."

As he listened to the sounds of waves, cold breeze stroked his hair brushed off his shoulders. The boy watched the girl in considerate silence as she seemed to readjust her composure and picking a decision.

Then she said, "You see... Before I became like this, I once fought as a Hero."

The girl reopened her eye, and yet she moved it to stare at the sea beyond the beach.

"One plus one plus one isn't equal to three, but ten." She sighed. "I was told to think like that. We had to believe that, because all we could do to the very end was to drive off the enemy, not destroy them."

Then her eye hovered to the Great Bridge.

"Han-kun... You should try to go there. I think you will know some of the truths if you try to know what is there."

 _Huh,_ Issei muttered, not knowing what to say. Even so, as he exchanged gaze with Sonoko, he could tell that she was exhausted. It was late after all and she had been up for a while. _It must have meant something, so..._

"Alright, Sonoko-chan." Issei got up and turned around. "See you next time."

"Un! See you again, Han-kun..."

The boy stood before the lip of the bridge. The road was broken into pieces and every part of the bridge was twisted, crushed, burned, pulverized... Heck, there were a lot of things to say that he stopped going down the train of thoughts. He heard that the Great Bridge was ravaged by a huge storm and that it caused some casualties.

"But I don't think a mere storm can do this..." Issei eyed the arched part of the bridge which broke off at the end. "Well, nothing ventured, nothing gained."

With that he walked forward and went past the yellow lines that warned people to not enter without permissions. The winds made a strange sound as they passed through the bridge and some iron railings groaned from being struck by them. Issei looked around as he marveled the scene of destruction... then his feet promptly stopped before something... weird.

"Stone tablets...?" Issei stared at nine stones which had names written on them like some sort of monuments.

Most of them were damaged and some were thrown off their default positions. Even so, the names of families engraved on them all still existed though only two were utterly broken that it was difficult to read them out.

Of all of them, those that stood upright were 'Akamine', 'Takashima', 'Doi', 'Uesato', 'Iyojima', and 'Shiratori'.

Of the damaged stone tablets, the one engraved with the word 'Nogi' was the most damaged that it could fall off at any moment.

Finally, of the nine stone tablets, two were completely uprooted and they were the 'Minowa' and the 'Washio'.

At first, Issei didn't know what was this supposed to mean. Why would there be stone tablets here? Why was there the family name of his friend here? It all didn't make sense until he heard a bell chiming.

"Huh...?" Issei looked up, catching the sight of wind chimes dangling onto the bridge. "Why are there bells hung up there—"

One by one, the sounds of bell chiming traveled across the air. Those that were not broken. Those that were broken. They all rang and sang a cacophony of ringing bells that sent a shiver down on his back.

The boy blinked as a deep red flower petal floated by him — and the world _changed_.


	21. Chapter 19 - Scale and Spirit

His head hit something solid and Issei woke up from his sleep. He groaned as everything was turned upside-down – wait, was it just him who turned upside-down? Ugh. Whatever – and he pushed his upper body off the floor and stood up. A yawn was expelled.

"…Huh," he muttered. "I'm back in my room… again?"

That was weird… Looking back at the curtains and the streaming sunlight that slipped through the narrow gaps, Issei could tell that the weather was clear and bright. _Looks like it's going to be a field day again…_

Man, he didn't want that. Not only was he running ragged from school, club activity and training, he now also had the duty of going out clearing requests on specific days. Though it was a little arbitrary, the boy had lost in drawing the lottery and ended up with a very tight schedule. _I sure am out of luck._

Resigning himself to his fate, Issei sighed. "Oh, well. Let's just get on with my life."

With that he changed into school uniform and went down the stairs. He went straight to the dining table and participated in a quick breakfast with his parents…

"Hm? Issei raised an eyebrow as he saw only his mother. "Where's dad?"

"He's off to work," the woman answered. "It's too bad that you missed each other, Ise. Were you playing game all-night long again?"

Usually, Issei would agree to that but for the past two weeks, his answer had been a resolute no. It was easy to tell that his parent had noticed and so his mother – Kanae smiled.

"You're working hard, aren't you?" She asked. "Don't push yourself too hard."

"I know, mom." Issei sat down in one chair, clasped his hands and began eating breakfast. "But I'm doing this cause it's what I decided to do. I want to get stronger and be useful for everyone. I want to fight alongside the girls."

Needless to say, this was related to the secret war against the world-ending eldritch abominations. It seemed that both of his parents had been in the know for a while so after Issei told his secrets to the Hero Club, this kind of talk quickly appeared and became a regular thing in the Hyoudou household. _It still feels weird whenever we talk about this…_

"I understand," his mother said. "Just… Please, take care of yourself, okay?"

Glancing at his mother, the woman with slightly aged facial directed a concerned gaze. It clipped a part of Issei's heart, seeing how worried his parent was. Even though his father was always around to reassure both of them, but… _Now that I think about it, dad must be worried in his own way._

He was probably hiding it better than Issei or Kanae.

It must be something only a father could understand, as he was the head of the family and also the one who watched over Issei's activity during the war. Sometimes, the boy tried to imagine how it felt to be on his father's position, but… that ended up in utter failure. He didn't know what Ichiro was doing in Taisha and even when he asked Sonoko, she too couldn't explain everything without going on a tangent.

"Sigh. Bear with it, Issei. This isn't going to last forever, anyway." The boy shook his head.

"Hm? What is it, Ise?" His mother asked.

"Eh, nothing! Thanks for the food!" Issei hopped off the chair and picked up his schoolbag. "I'm off!"

"Ah, wait! What do you want for dinner?!"

"Anything's fine!"

Quickly wearing his shoes, Issei scrambled to the front door, left home and ran straight to school.

* * *

Lately, studying had felt like a chore. Not that it wasn't like that before but as Issei drummed the tip of his pen on the notes that were on his desk, he realized he couldn't pay attention much to the classes. He sometimes lazed off but this sense of discomfort upon finding nothing to do was weird, if not irritating.

Taking his mind off the matter, the boy glanced to the right. Yuuna was jotting down the lesson with a quiet hum. Sometimes, her body or head swayed to the sides as the tune she let out rose in volumes. That easily made Issei's heart to race but he wondered if his friend was always energetic even during classes.

However, looking a little further to the corner where Tougou stared long and hard at Yuuna snapped Issei's mind back to reality. _Ah, looks like Yuuna-chan isn't paying attention either…_

"Alright," the math teacher said. "Now, how do you solve these problems? Hyoudou, Yuuki."

 _Ouch! She noticed!_

* * *

With great regret and much lamentation, the boy dragged past the classes school was over. By that point, most of his earlier energy and enthusiasm went down the drain so when he attended club activity...

"Everyone, please help yourself." Tougou smiled, bringing out a lidless box that displayed reddish brown... Were they some sort of sweets?

"Yay, botamochi!" Yuuna pounced from the other side of the club room with drool leaking from the corner of her lips. "Thank you, Tougou-san!"

"Botamochi…?" Issei tilted his head from his chair before directing curious glance to Fuu who silently worked on plastering stickers onto a handmade wooden board that was as thick as a pencil. "What's that?"

"Crunchy, sweet, fluffy like cotton candy and incredibly addictive," Fuu replied with one eye closed. " _Maa…_ In one way, it's Tougou's ultimate weapon beside her Megalopolis. And ropes. Or cold smile."

 _Megalopolis?_ Issei almost tried to ask but he felt prickling gaze put onto his back. After sweating bullets, Issei chose to refrain and decided that yes, he must not ask lest his life be in grave danger. This must be some sort of Divine Intervention aiding him to not perish by hands other than Vertexes.

Setting aside his mortality and chance for survival, though…

"Say, Itsuki-chan," Issei called out to his junior. "Is there a new request coming in?"

The girl with princess-cut blonde hair and light green eyes that she shared with her older sister nodded. Her smile was as adorable like always.

"Un! There are so many that the request box is overflowing!"

Needless to say, the news struck both Issei and surprisingly Fuu with a pained grunt. They both looked each other and immediately shared the sentiment, which was getting ready to be overworked to death.

"Somehow, I think there are too much troubled people…" Issei sighed as he asked for some request forms to check on. "Uh… Let's see, finding lost pets, volunteer service for the nearby kindergarten… Cooking advises… Drug testers for scientific experiments?!"

The last one was way too shady! Could that even be allowed, especially when the people who asked for it were just high school students!?

"Yeah, well, sometimes those kinds of things always appeared in a drove." Fuu waved and sighed. "Just sort them out and make sure the spams don't get mixed in with the proper requests."

"Eeeh…? Buht, harrent dwhey win nweed of help, Fuu-senpai?"

"Yuuna, swallow your food first before talking."

She did.

Issei exasperated at the display of no grace from the resident ball of energy. Next to her, Tougou offered a glass of warm tea and Yuuna accepted it, taking a large sip of it. However, the more ridiculous thing was that even with her chin lifted high, the cow fairy hanging onto Yuuna's red head refused to fall and simply mirrored the refreshed expression of its summoner.

 _…What kind of fairy is that? Can that even be called as a fairy? No, wait, the more important thing is that how can it be allowed to pig around and move everywhere without asking for permissions?_

"…Hm?" Yuuna raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong, Senpai?"

"Eh, well…" Issei raised a finger to point at the white cow with four wings. "Actually, I've been meaning to ask about that fairy on top of your head, Yuuna-chan…"

"Oh, you mean Gyuuki?" Yuuna grabbed and presented the mascot-like fairy. "Isn't he cute? He eats a lot and he can even use a pompom! Also, his favorite food is beef jerky!"

 _Whut?_ The boy felt like he had heard something he shouldn't have. Not only could it cheer people up like some mascot, it also cannibalized?! What part of it was a 'fairy that protects the world'!?

"With 'Gyuuki' as a name, somehow, I'm not surprised." The Club Leader rubbed her temple. " _Eeeii!_ Enough with the short break! Let's finish our work already!"

 _Uwooooh!? Fuu-senpai snapped!_

* * *

Before night fell upon Sanshu, the sunset would always shine upon Seto Inland Sea. People said that the Walls that separated the sea from the sky was distracting but Issei could appreciate the scene and burn it into his memories. After all, even with all that, both the remnant of the Great Bridge and the sea were still a wonderful sight to behold.

 _It's a perfect reward after a terrible session of one-sided beatdown._

"I wonder if I should note this place down…" The boy mused as he leaned himself against the railing surrounding the squared viewing spot.

"Hmm? I don't think Taisha will approve, though…" From nearby Sonoko's voice rang out. "You see… I like being here so ordinary people can't just waltz in~"

Aww. That was too bad, but the boy could accept that. After all, his bedridden friend always looked exhausted and even staying awake for six hours was her maximum limits. She needed much rest if she wanted to recover and leave the bed. Turning around, Issei walked to a chair set up next to the bed and sat on it.

He gave a toothy grin to his friend. "Then this will be our secret base! Only for both of us!"

The girl with flowing dirty blonde hair gazed on him before she tugged her lips to form a smile. It was weak. It was soft. Even so, Issei could tell she was happy. That was a clue he finally discovered after talking almost every day with Nogi Sonoko.

"Han-kun, you sure know a lot of pick up words," Sonoko drawled. "What would happen if I fall in love with you?"

"Of course I'd be happy!" Issei laughed. "But seriously, that's a good thing right?"

He thought that it was. His father said that to be in love was the happiest moment in life. That it was already a miracle to find love and that cherishing that feeling was the best thing ever. Issei was certain he was right.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have seen his parents flirt with each other, much less living their lives to the fullest. They were always so lovey-dovey and enjoying their days that it the boy felt envious. After all, he had yet to find the love of his life.

 _Well, I'm also surrounded by cute girls all around right now, but…_

"I guess so~" Sonoko replied, bringing Issei back to reality. "Say, do you have someone you like?"

 _…Huh?_ "Umm… Which 'like' are you talking about, Sonoko-chan?"

To his question, Sonoko hummed in thoughts. She raised her left hand and waved an index finger.

"Well~" The girl in discolored purple hospital garb paused as if trying to kick up the importance of her next words. "How about 'like like'? I'm sure there's a girl you have some interests in, right?"

Mrgh. Issei instantly burned up from within as the cute gesture was combined with adorable pronunciation of her request. Since he was pretty tired after his personal training, the boy and the girl decided to just talk about trivial things but his suggestion about a Q-and-A session backfired spectacularly!

"Ehe he~ Your face is all red now." Sonoko giggled. "You're so cute, Han-kun!"

"What – y-you were teasing me!?" Issei exclaimed in shock.

 _Gaaaaaaaahhh! I need a hole to bury my worthless self in now…!_

"You see," the girl said, further taking the boy's focus away from hiding his face with his hands. "If it's me, I _really_ like my friends. I also _really_ like my family and there are _looooots_ of things that I adore."

…Huh… That sounded nice, but…

"Isn't that being a bit too greedy, Sonoko-chan?" Issei honestly asked.

"Un. But it's not wrong, right? Why do I have to discard a thing when I want everything?" Sonoko tilted her head.

...No, it wasn't wrong. The boy thought of the same thing as well. There was nothing wrong about wanting something. Even more, that was perfectly normal since it was just how people were. The old man he once met back in his hometown said the same thing, and…

"Then," the brown-haired boy leaned forward a little. "Is it okay if I say the same thing?"

"Ohho~ Aren't you being audacious, today?" Sonoko beamed. "Hmhmm~ Flirting with a goddess like me~ Han-kun really is a dragon."

"Eh, I don't think me being a dragon has a relation with that…" He scratched the back of his head. "Besides, it's fine, right? _I really like you_ , Sonoko-chan."

Oh. Now she stilled and formed a big 'O' with her mouth. He didn't expect her to be greatly surprised but that was a good sign for him to continue, right? _Alright, man up, Issei! Here goes nothing…!_

"Before you said something similar like what Tougou-san did – no, I don't care about how you look like, Sonoko-chan," Issei explained. "And I'm not saying this out of pity. I really _really_ like you."

There was a brief silence.

However, it was terminated once a twinge of red graced the bedridden girl's cheeks. Even with bandages covering the majority of her head, the boy could tell that Sonoko was blushing and _damn_ was she the cutest girl ever!

"E-Ehh? Umm… Thank, you?" Sonoko replied with a statement that could easily be taken as a question instead of a proper answer. "Han-kun, that's a bit too fast for a move, isn't it…?"

"Well…" Issei scratched his cheek. "I… don't think so? I mean, it's my choice whether or not I should express my feeling, right?"

 _That's not wrong but…,_ Sonoko's murmuring faded in the blowing winds. Ah, Issei just realized that the sky was about to be shrouded by darkness completely. A quick glance upward was enough to tell that night had arrived and… _Maybe I should wrap this up for today._

"Alright!" Issei exclaimed, left his chair and flashed a grin. "See you tomorrow, Sonoko-chan!"

"Ah, wait…!"

Before he could hear the entire sentence, Issei fled and went straight to the last place to go for today. Though saying that…

"I said it!" Midway through, Issei yelled in horror and thrill. "I _seriously_ said it! _Holy shit!_ What the hell!?"

[…You… Are you serious, partner?] _What do you think!?_ […No. That's just so like you. Sigh, youths these days… Now I feel old.]

Wasn't he always old? Issei didn't get the implication but that wasn't important! The big thing here was that he had _confessed to a girl for the first time in life!_ God, was he an idiot to just straight up do something like that but it _somehow_ worked…! How did this happen? What kind of sorcery was at work here!?

[I don't think it's merely because of luck, but… Ah, hell. Why should I care anyway?] Ddraig scoffed.

"Oh, shut up, Ddraig. Go ahead and ruin my fun, will you?" Issei rolled his eyes.

[Then I'll just say that your goddess hasn't replied whether or not she will reciprocate your confession.]

 _Oh, shit! He's right! Fuck me with a silver spoon!_

[That'd be a disturbing thing to see.]

 _Arrgh… I said it wrong!_ "A-Anyway, are you ready?"

To the cough into his fist, Ddraig sneered as if his host's question was an obviously foolish thing.

[Of course I am. How about _you?_ ] The Welsh Dragon replied back with another question.

If it was about that… Issei licked his lips as his feet brought him to a place with pieces of concrete and asphalt jutting up from the ground. Wherever he looked was scene of destruction, a trace of a natural disaster.

The boy took a deep breath in as he looked up to the twisting and turning remnant of the Great Bridge, the bells' chimes guiding him as he paced in a steadfast rate to a section of the ruin.

As he stepped into the audience of nine stone tablets, Issei stopped walking – noble red flower petal floated into his sight and the world once again _changed._

Everything shifted like a ripple on the surface of a still lake. A drop of echo, followed by a wave that disturbed calmness and manifested a motion of movement. Issei shuddered as the earth twisted and the sky distorted before it all cleared up as if everything before the change was an empty lie.

When he looked up, the sky was dark and without stars. It was a familiar sight that sent chills down the boy's spine, but this time, there were pillars that surrounded it from the left and right side. Although the entire place was darker than the sight he had seen before, it had a shade of blue. Issei could also see balls of light floating from below and slowly gathering up at the tip of the tilted pillars.

[As I thought, we're displaced from reality and the correct spacetime axis,] Ddraig informed. [Partner, I believe that even if we're out of this place, we're just going to end up back in your room again. Whatever thing we do here will give no effect to our body or even to the surroundings.]

"Well... I kind of expected that considering what we saw and experienced the last few times." Issei chuckled mirthlessly. "At least I don't have to worry about breaking things up or be broken into tiny pieces."

Indeed. He had been here several times – two times in a week to be more exact – but he still couldn't stop getting surprised by the idea of being abducted and put in a pocket dimension that was completely detached to reality. Though he was worried and panicked at first, he swallowed his bitter pill and after some internal discussion with his partner, the boy decided that staying until he was kicked out of here was the best course of action.

After all, this meant he was in a situation where he could do image training as much as he could without risking his life. It was perfect if he wanted to go all out and test new things out.

[Hah! You're doing good if you can be nonchalant despite being trapped by a conglomeration of gods.]

 _Yeah, yeah. Say whatever you want, Ddraig._ Still... Looking around, Issei remained being unable to stop himself from getting entranced by the beauty of the landscape surrounding him. He had to admit, sometimes the Shinju did something really cool but he wondered why the Jukai not looking like this in the first place. Even if it was purely for aesthetics alone, it would have at least boosted everyone's morale. Not that he could imagine himself understanding the whims of God—

 _"Oho! You're here again, huh, Nii-chan!"_

…Issei sighed. Even if he closed his eyes, it would be a futile effort. There was nothing that could stop the storm from brewing and so he braced himself by activating his Sacred Gear and turned around. The boy placed a hand on his waist.

"You know," Issei muttered. "At least do something with the way you address me. Sure, I don't hate being called that but really? Even after you kicked my sorry asses for a dozen times in a row?"

A wide grin was plastered on the face of a girl several years younger than him. With her arms folded behind her head, the brown-haired girl Issei encountered by accident laughed as her red coat tails flowed alongside the winds... and he expressed a grin that mirrored hers in spirits.

"Here I thought I'm the student here… _Gin-sensei._ "


	22. Chapter 20 - Perplexity

"Yaaaah!" A high-pitched shout brought to mind of a certain girl who used her fists whenever she fought.

However, Issei's opponent was a girl who dual-wielded gigantic axes that should have been impossible for girls her age to carry, much less swing around singlehandedly. It was a ridiculous sight as when he dodged the simple downward slash attack, the vine he stood his ground on caved in and a deep gash was left as a trail of destruction. Chips of rocks, debris and piling dirt erupted and Issei was thrown back by the violent winds that quickly followed.

[BOOST!] The boy's Sacred Gear announced.

A spring of pure, unadulterated power swelled from the core of his being. Issei roared, his leapt exceeding a hundred meters at once and he delivered a straight left that was side-stepped and countered with a hard bash from his second combat instructor.

His body soared, bounced off giant vines and crashed in to one of the Great Bridge's pillars. Issei almost screamed at the burning pain but he resisted it all by gritting his teeth to the point of grinding them and bounding back to his feet. Even so, his vision swayed and Issei staggered.

"Not... yet!" Issei shouted before he hit his knees and swallowed a large amount of breath in. "I'm not done yet! Boosted Gear...!"

His Sacred Gear responded to his wish and the armor gleamed. The green jewels flashed as the announcement of his third Boost echoed in his mind, and Issei once again leaped forward.

He closed the distance between him and his teacher. His glare set only on her but he didn't charge blindly like a mad bull would. Instead, Issei circled around attacked from her blind spots.

"Yotto!" The brunette spun and parried his right punch. "Nice try, there, Nii-chan!"

Issei snarled as he jumped back and boosted himself. The fourth time. Two more to go before Explosion which meant he was halfway to his limits. Normally, Issei would think up a plan to conserve his strength but not in this place!

He looked for openings and attacked whenever there was one. Issei didn't hesitate to do hit-and-run tactic if it meant his victory and he also didn't hesitate to let himself be hit if he could get a chance to deliver a successful counterattack.

However, nothing had worked. It was so frustrating that the adrenaline and pounding heart further infuriated the boy. Even worse was that despite reaching his fifth Boost, the boy could only push the girl back without getting a clean hit!

"Dammit...! Just hit already!"

Much to his agitation, Gin laughed as she deflected his attacks as if dancing to a rhythm. It was clear that compared to him, the girl possessed combat experiences nobody couldn't sneer at. It wasn't as hardened like Heracles's but he could tell that this girl who must still be a grade schooler was skilled, talented, and experienced.

 _Think, Issei! There must be some way to—_

"Time's up, Nii-chan!"

The girl in red uniform that strikingly resembled a Hero's outfits smirked - and suddenly the hollow spots in her twin axes manifested some sort of propelling blades that spun and scattered swirling flames.

"What—"

"Ready or not, here I come!" Gin exclaimed. "Uuuoorrryaaaaaahh!"

Stamping the ground, the girl plunged straight to him, breaking into his range with reckless abandon that it Issei was left defenseless.

Her speed multiplied as the wind became her ally. Issei who was trapped in the eye of the impromptu hurricane couldn't react in time as Gin's axe slammed to his side, and he was cast into the deadly whirlwind of bladed winds and searing flame.

His scream spread wide before it faded away into the oblivion.

After a short while, an object fell and produced a pillar of pieces of earth. The vines rattled, the pillars of the Great Bridge swaying a little at the resounding impact that struck the bridge. Amidst the dissipating dust fogs, however...

"Whew! That was a nice workout!" Gin wiped her forehead with her sleeve, her weapons vanishing into red flower petals.

"That... was, _brutal_..." Far behind her, Issei honestly commented, still sprawled at the center of the crater he got buried in like a fossil in an excavation site. "What... was that... if I may ask...?"

Though it was hard to see her clearly from his position, Issei could tell that Gin was about to rub her victory on his face. She had done that before and she definitely would do that again until she was satisfied.

Winning must be a big deal to Gin.

"Heh he...!" The girl guffawed. "That was Gin-sama's super ultimate move! It's awesome, isn't it!?"

 _No, even if you say that…_ Issei was beginning to think that his choice for second mentor was his worst mistake. Being shredded apart while his body was roasted alive were one thing, but feeling the pain from them? Despite his enhanced stats, Issei was certain that the destructive power of Gin's special attack was so big that had he been a normal person, he would have turned into mincemeat.

[RESET!] The Boosted Gear announced, and with a flash of light Issei's armor vanished; leaving him only in his gakuran.

 _Argh... now I'm completely drained too, goddamn it!_

"Huh... So this is it for today, huh?" Gin murmured. "Oh yeah, Nii-chan! No need to worry since I wasn't serious earlier! Normally, I reserved that move for the enemy and I usually give them threefold damage!"

 _It could be worse!?_

"Gaaah..." Issei groaned, slowly getting back up despite the lack of energy and strength. "Heroes are all bullshits... All of you are."

"Oh, suck it up, will ya?" Gin huffed. "Need a help, Nii-chan?"

 _No need_ , Issei replied. He climbed out of the crater and once he could stand upright next to his second combat instructor, he dusted off his uniform from the dirt clinging onto it. _Ugh... I have to buy a new set now, aren't I...?_

[Like I said, there's no use for you to get worked up about that, partner.] Ddraig chimed in.

 _...So you said, but..._ Looking to the brunette, Issei couldn't see anything wrong with her, with him, or even with the starless-roofed world. He still felt pain when he was hurt and he was plenty sure that his stamina was drained, his muscles groaned in exhaustion and some of his adrenaline still circulated in his body. It was seriously odd how he would just wake up after this completely unscathed.

 _What kind of place is this anyway…? Even though the real bridge was already ruined, why is there the equivalent of Great Bridge in this Jukai? Is there some sort of secret hidden about this place…?_

"Hm? What is it, Nii-chan?"

"Eh? Ah... Nothing. Nothing at all!"

Uh-oh. Now Gin was giving the stink eyes.

"You know, Nii-chan..." The girl paused, her gaze turning flat. "Even though you've got awesome armor like that, you don't act like a Hero would."

 _Excuse me?_

"Umm... I'm not a Hero," Issei answered. "I'm not even a human. No longer a full one, I guess, and—"

"Yeah, yeah. Sacred Gears and the likes of it. I heard that from you, okay?" Gin waved a hand. "But you said that it responds to your desire so isn't that something a Hero would use? Isn't that the dream weapon any Hero would want? With enough guts and you can surely kick the Vertexes' asses!"

Well... Now Issei couldn't deny that. If he thought of it like that, it definitely made sense when he tried to project himself as a Shounen Manga protagonist. He probably could pull some sort of asspull miracle by wishing for power strongly, but...

"Easier said than done..." Issei rubbed his neck tiredly.

"Oh, come on! Both of us are Heroes! Being Heroes is all about guts!" Gin yelled back.

 _No... I doubt that will work every time..._ Issei really wished that his teacher wasn't so simple-minded.

Heck, that two-meter tall guy was already simple-minded enough so why couldn't his other teacher be a little normal? That might sound unfair since Gin was a sixth-grader and people of her age were allowed to act as they please, _but still..._

"If I can, I'd rather try my hands on Hero System." Issei pointed out. "I mean, fairies and divine blessing sound a lot better than this guy."

[Hmph. You will just regret those words, partner.] Ddraig snorted.

Issei flatly stared at his left gauntlet and then raised it up, presenting the green jewel to capture his teacher's reflection.

"See? He's even grumbling." The boy reasoned.

"Hmm... I don't know. To be honest, that's even cooler than ours." The young girl pursed her lips. "You know, maybe our roles got reversed for some reasons?"

That sounded contrived. Issei wasn't sure if Gin was serious but he wouldn't want someone as kind as her to offer her humanity and trade it away with superhuman strength.

Some would say that immortality was something people always dreamed but Issei didn't like the sound of outliving everyone who he held dear. He also didn't like having to restraint himself from having fun and going all-out which caused him to stay back and watch over his friends playing on the fields. Also, with this kind of body, people in the hospital would freak out at his recovery rate and the less said about whatever thing his insides had become, the better.

 _...Even though I believed I've already made peace with it..._

"Sigh..." Issei shook his head. "Maybe I should find a hobby."

Yeah. That'd be good, especially if he could keep the disguise blessing Sonoko put on him. Optical illusion had limits as proven with the time he was admitted to the hospital. That made him to spill the beans to his friends and family and... To be completely honest, his bed must be replaced in the near future. The scales growing out of his body always found their ways to shred the bedcover and this also meant the poor Issei had no choice but to wear nothing except a boxer whenever he slept.

Even more, Issei also had to explain how his physical strength grew like crazy despite getting hospitalized for almost an entire month. He also needed to find more excuses just in case he accidentally snapped an object with his current body, in addition of keeping cautious not to hurl himself onto any regular people regardless of his intention...

"Argh…! Seriously!" Issei clawed his head and was about to tear his hairs out. "Why is this all happening to me, anyway!?"

He heard a sigh and he turned to Gin who had placed a hand on her waist.

"This is why _I told you_ to consult your problems," she said. "Come on, fess up! What's bothering your mind? This Gin-sama will definitely solve your problem!"

 _Eeeehh, that sounds like a cheap advertisement..._ Issei wanted to back away but after thinking it through, maybe... _Oh, yeah! There's also that!  
_  
"Then, Gin-sensei!" Issei scrambled to face her. "Before coming here, I just confessed to my friend and I ran away before I can hear her response! What should I do!?"

 _"Are you AN IDIOT!?"_

" _Hidebu!?_ "

Before Issei could notice, the girl already moved and slapped his side with the back of her hand. The way she grinned and the way she moved strongly implied that she was trying to be the straight man but the boy was back to his default strength so the power of the backhand slap instantly took his feet off the ground. With a cry, the boy crashed to a vine ahead of the two like a frog slapped to the wall.

"Wagh!?" The young girl gasped. "Nii-chan, you okay?! Still alive!? I'm sorry...!"

As Issei's body slowly peeled itself off from the vine, all he could say was a broken complaint that faded alongside his consciousness.

"Damn... You... Loli-sensei..." The boy groaned.

"Oy! Now that's just insulting...! Besides, what kind of man are you to just go up and flee like that!?"  
 _  
Mgah...!?_ Issei shuddered as the news struck him but his body already dropped down and his head promptly hit the ground. Hard.

"Nii-chan...!? Nii-chan? _Niii-chaaaaaaannn!"_

* * *

Huh? Issei blinked as for some reasons, he was back at the viewing spot close to the Great Bridge. He looked to the orange-dyed sky and sea, the sloshing waves, the scent of salt and the cold touches of the wind...  
 _  
Wait, how could time reversed back to before nightfall? Didn't I enter the Jukai right when evening started? Also, I don't feel any different than before I blacked out!_

 _"Oh my~ What are you doing there, Han-kun~?"_

Issei turned around to the familiar sweet and lazy voice but soon he froze up as a three-pronged spear fell to the center of his sight, the sharp blade pointed at his nose.

Sweat dribbled as chilling ice seeped into his heart. The boy's brown eyes traveled to identify the figure of a girl with dirty blond hair dressed in white-and-purple kimono with super miniskirts.

"S-Sonoko-chan...?" Issei stepped backward. "Wh-what are you—"

"Ehe he~ You know why, right~?"

The girl smiled. Even though it looked pleasant in the first glance, the eyes told him that it was anything but. There was no compassion, no hope, no innocence... Just pools of iron will devoid of emotion and – _wait a moment, something's wrong here!_

"Sonoko-chan, you're healed... No, wait, are you mad!?" Issei took another step backward. "Wait! I'm sorry! I wasn't trying to run away and I wasn't thinking straight back there!"

There was a twitch.

Then there was a sound of a string snapping with great force.

" _No~pe!_ " Sonoko sang and holy shit did it sound like a reaper's lullaby! "Wrong answer, Han-kun~! Divine Punishment...!"

The blade of the spear shone with purple light. Issei screamed as a blast of energy devoured him...

Then he was brought back to the true reality only he knew of.

" _Bwaah!?_ " Issei got up, panting with streams of sweat running down his body. "What... What was that...?"

He looked to the right and left, up and down... _Ah, this is my room._

"W-Was that a dream...?" Issei asked himself. "Wait, was that a prophetic dream?! What...!?"

[Hm. I sensed a trace of magic. Perhaps that might be it, a dream foretelling the future if you keep on staying as is.]

 _What...!? Are you saying my future is getting killed by my friend!? What is this, a dating sim game starring yandere bad end?!_

[What are the chances of it being not? You're not a prime example of a gentleman, after all.]

"Agggh...!?"

* * *

"...Errm..." After school, Itsuki took the role of the icebreaker for the first time ever since today's strange antics welcomed her. "What's wrong with Hyoudou-senpai?"

There, in the corner of the room was a brown-haired boy hugging his knees while murmuring 'I'm not manly' and 'I'm a shoujo manga heroine' and 'what should I do?' like a broken cassette; dark clouds hanging above his head.

This was really odd. There was no Vertex invasion, no emergency request, no difficult lessons and nothing went wrong with... Well, nothing except her senior's current condition. The blonde girl was the last person to enter the club room but then this scene somehow unfolded before her eyes, and small investigation revealed that this also happened throughout the day.

At the sight of the pitiful and depressed friend, the boy's classmates could not say anything and only exchanged half-confused, half-worried gaze. Itsuki directed a pleading expression to Fuu in the end and so she sagely leaned her back in her chair and crossed her arms.

"Well, my dear sister," the older Inubouzaki sibling replied. "That over there is a lump of stupidity who knows nothing about self-restraint and only realized his accumulated sins at the most inopportune time."

 _Huuuh_ , Itsuki muttered, unable to comprehend her words at all. It was obvious that Fuu sounded like whenever she tried to - which according to her personal definition - 'spice things up' but unfortunately for the other three members of Hero Club, they couldn't understand what was funny about this all.

Fuu inhaled and exhaled, though her shoulders trembled a little. Next, she shifted her hand, taking out her smartphone. After some swipes and touches, the third-year placed it on the table for the rest to see what was in there and...

Yuuna choked like a strangled animal.

Tougou covered her lips with both hands.

Itsuki's blood shot up to the face which caused her cheeks to redden like a boiling kettle.

Fuu snorted as if she was holding back her laughter, though she ended up doing it through her nose.

Why were the girls reacting like this? It was simple, really. After all, on the screen of Fuu's smartphone was a single line typed by her.

 _'Hyoudou Issei confessed his feeling only to run away after it like some shy and socially inept shoujo manga protagonist!'_

 _"_ E-EEEEEEEEEEEEHHHH!? _"_ Yuuna screamed. "What-what...!? What is this!? What happened?! Eh?! S-Senpai confessed...!?"

 _Eeeeeeh,_ the red-haired girl sputtered as her face turned a shade redder by the minutes. Meanwhile, her best friend was sitting still in her wheelchair with eyes rounding up. It was clear that not even the always calm and steady Tougou could withstand the weight of the truth and... probably, her consciousness must have drifted away to wonderland. At the same time, Itsuki had turned into a mess as she opened and closed her mouth repeatedly without succeeding on voicing out words.

The problem here, however, was Issei who hitched as if he had been listening in. He fell to the floor, hugging his knees as he became a sobbing wreck before groaning and screaming 'Aaaaaaa!', 'I didn't hear anything!', 'I heard nothing!', and 'I don't remember being so stupid like that...!' while clawing his head. He also writhed around like a caterpillar approached by a burning wooden stick.

Finally... The sanest person in the room was...

"Bwahahahahaaaaa!" Fuu laughed as loud as she could. "This is hilarious! What kind of slip-up is this!?"

...Well. It didn't seem like there was anyone with enough common sense or even sanity at the moment here. On the other hand, far, far away from the town of Sanshu...

"Hmm..." While looking to the blue sky above, a certain half-retired Hero mused as she read her phone with the help of her fairies. "This is difficult..."

From nearby, a masked person entered her 'altar' and kowtowed in reverence. Normally, Sonoko would request someone she knew not to do that but she was far too absorbed in thoughts about the storm that was yesterday. After the pleasantry was done, the agent of Taisha raised his head and delivered a question through the mask decorated with the symbol of a tree.

"Sonoko-sama, what is your request?" He asked. "I believe that the briefing about the reinforcement's selection has already been finalized...?"

Hm, the living goddess nodded. After displaying a thoughtful expression with her eye closed, she requested the fairies surrounding her to save up all the works she had. They all nodded/gestured acceptance then vanished alongside the tools they held; leaving behind only scattered purple flower petals.

With that done, Sonoko turned to direct her lone gaze to the member of Taisha.

"Say, Harunobu-san." She called out to her newest vassal. "How do you respond when someone confessed their love out of the blue?"

The young prodigy could do nothing but to sputter, his mask almost falling to the ground.


	23. Chapter 21 - Time

"Ahem!" In front of the black board, Fuu coughed into her fist, drawing the attention of the other club members. "At any rate, we have an emergency request today and it comes directly from our friend here."

She eyed Issei who squared his shoulders a little. As expected, he was still out of it. Thankfully, Yuuna helped cheering him up and even Tougou coaxed him through various methods. Itsuki was... for some odd reasons, she became fired up as if a fuse was lit within her. _I never saw Itsuki-chan being this cheerful…_

"Let's see here." Issei straightened his back a little in attention. "The Hero Club is meant to help those in needs so we're going to help you... gather enough courage to confront your would-be girlfriend."

Issei slowly nodded. "Uh… I wasn't trying to do a love confession, actually..."

Fuu raised an eyebrow. "How did that even happen, anyway?"

"Well…" He scratched his cheek. "Nothing, really. We sort of talked about random stuff then it moved to what we like and it just went… _that_ way."

 _Huh, that's new_ , Fuu mouthed but Issei too had no other way to explain it. It was the same for him and that was exactly why this became a problem. He didn't know what to do, and his tired mind couldn't process anything. That was the reason why he was acting like a crazy person earlier; he tried to find a way only to hit a dead end over and over.

 _And after club activity, I have to fulfill my promise by meeting up with Sonoko-chan again… Aaah, what should I do!?_

"…Oh, that's right!" Issei lifted his chin, pressing two hands on it as he looked up to the ceiling as if in remembrance. "If there's something weird about it, we just sort of clicked because our preferences are the same."

While Tougou and Fuu knitted their eyebrows together, Yuuna who was seated to Issei's left side turned to face him. "But isn't Ise-senpai's preference…"

"Errm, well…" Issei promptly shot down the possibility. "You see… She said that she loves her friends. She loves her family, and she loves everything she cares about. In other words, she loves everyone indiscriminately."

If one of the girls were to ask what that meant, even Issei wouldn't know what to say. Sonoko was carefree, lazy and sometimes loose with her words. She was way too free-spirited to even nitpick on others though she could be serious if she wanted to. _I'll just chalk it up as Sonoko-chan being Sonoko-chan, yeah._

"When I pointed out that she's being too greedy, she asked 'why should that be a problem?'" The boy shrugged. "She further said that there's no reason to throw away one thing if we want everything. It... made me realize."

"…That you feel the same way?" Yuuna tilted her head, and Issei nodded.

"I… Ever since I'm here, I found a lot of things I care about." A sigh was let out. "Of course, I already have important things even before this. My parents, my childhood friend, my old teacher, my classmates back at Kuoh…"

 _Not only that,_ a small voice in the corner of Issei's mind whispered. It was a familiar voice even more so than Ddraig's. After all… it was _his own_ voice. The boy heard it, acknowledged it, and then agreed to his heart's command.

"When I came here, the numbers just… grew." Issei met her friends' gazes. "There are a lot of things but among them all, I think… I think I found the place I can truly belong to."

Without missing a heartbeat. Without needing for guidance, he opened his hands and spread them wide in front of him.

"Here," he said. "I want to be here. I want to be here because you girls are here, because I grew fond of this place, and because I came to like this town."

It was difficult. Issei wasn't sure if he could interpret his words correctly. He didn't want the girls to misunderstand since what he said was all true fact. Without a doubt, from the depths of his heart, Hyoudou Issei chose to acknowledge that Sanshu had become his second hometown.

Even though his time here could not be considered as long enough for him to truly be attached to, he was sure that he would miss this town should he ever go back to Kuoh. He was certain that he wouldn't know what he must do if he had to pick between his birthplace or this town that gave him so much happiness. Even so...

"...I guess that should be for later." Issei murmured under his breaths. "Anyway, I guess that's all I can think of. I want to be here with everyone so—huh?"

Eh? What? Why was nobody looking this way? Itsuki hung her head down, hiding her expression from view while Fuu faced the blackboard with a hand covering her face. Whipping his head to the left side, Yuuna and Tougou averted their eyes, both of them fidgeting once in a while with the former rubbing her knees together.

They looked _super_ uncomfortable…

"Err…" Issei raised a hand. "A-Are you okay, Yuuna-cha—"

"GAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!" Fuu suddenly shouted. "Stop! _Stoooooppp!_ Even being direct has a limit, you... You...! _You silly brat!_ "

 _Whut?_ The boy gaped at the casual throw of insult. It was immediately followed by a red-faced Fuu pointing at him with her index finger.

"You!" She shouted. "Don't you know the implication of your words!? Have some awareness! What are you, some 10-year old natural gigolo teacher!? Stop wording out phrases that can be interpreted as a passionate confession!"

"So it really is _my_ fault!?" Issei gasped in horror.

"That's right! It's _your_ fault! Stop being honest to yourself for once, dammit!"

 _What kind of senpai are you to promote dishonesty!?_

* * *

After a small break – with a chance to use the restroom – the five members of Hero Club huddled together around the table. For the lack of better words, the situation was _a biiiit_ awkward and nobody wished to meet Issei's gaze. Obviously, that was because of what had happened but the levelheaded club leader decided that enough was enough and so she strong-armed everyone by proceeding onto the next phase.

"Now then." Fuu set her elbows onto the table, her hands clasping together to hide the lower part of her face. "What is the verdict, everyone?"

" _Waitwaiwaitwaaaaaaaiiittt!_ " Issei stood off his seat. "The discussion! We just skipped the entire discussion and went straight to the consensus! Did something hit your head, Fuu-senpai!?"

"I don't want to be told that by you!" Fuu countered. "A-NY-WAY! Your problem is right there, Issei! You better control yourself so that… that, that _hotbloodedness_ isn't making you carried away! It's a double-edged sword!"

 _Seriously…?!_ Issei wasn't sure if he should comment on the ridiculous judgment or the fact that his slip-of-tongue was considered as some ultra-finishing move that would shave both his and his target's health points to zero. _Wait, that's just simple kamikaze tactic!_

Ugh. He ought to calm down. Yes, he should take a deep breath in and then regulate his composure. At this rate, the promised time would arrive with him getting no solution at all. _Stay calm, Issei…! Think rationally!_

"...O…kay…" Issei settled back in his chair, drawling with hands under the table. "What do you mean by it being a double-edged sword, Fuu-senpai…? Can I at least ask for the reason…?"

 _Finally_ , his senior muttered. With that said, the frustrated expression she had gradually wore off and the tension choking the air loosened somewhat. Unknowingly, everyone relaxed their shoulders and Itsuki moved quietly to prepare for more tea. Issei also noticed Yuuna helping out but only she showed a conspicuous degree of leftover rigidness.

 _…She must have been bothered a lot by what I just said._ Issei visibly sighed at the discovery anyone with half a brain could perceive even without much effort. _Way to go, Issei… You blew everything up again._

"Oy, Issei. Are you paying attention?" Fuu snapped her fingers and brought Issei back to the present. "…Haa. Don't bother apologizing. Just try to listen and pay attention because I'm not repeating myself."

She then raised a finger, her light green eyes reflecting Issei's figure. As she waved said finger, it was easy to tell that she intend to make a point so Issei focused on that while tuning the background conversation between her classmate and junior.

"It's nice and dandy for you to be honest to yourself," the blonde senior said. "Heck, if you combine that frankness with your constant diligence and determination, getting a girlfriend or two isn't out-of-reach."

 _What? Seriously!?_

"I'm not saying it will be easy but you have much better chance than most boys at school…" Fuu stared at Issei for a moment before continuing. "Okay, don't just smile like that. That's creepy."

 _Argh! Is it_ that _obvious!?_

"Well, Hyoudou-senpai is always wearing his heart on his sleeve, after all…" Itsuki commented from behind his back. "Here's tea, senpai."

 _Mrrgh... I want to cry…_ "Thanks, Itsuki-chan. …So I'm the Captain Obvious, huh…?"

As he sipped his tea, Tougou and Fuu who were in his field of sight nodded in unison. _Damn, now they're working together._

"Well, you are even more honest than Yuuna-chan," the wheelchair-bound black-haired girl commented. "However, I can't help but to feel that you are far too… blunt. Yes, I think that you should control yourself a little from now onward, Issei-san."

So she said. Tougou seemed to be sure of herself most of the time, but she was as mature as Fuu in terms of mindset, probably even more than her. Maybe she too realized something Issei hadn't noticed yet so that meant he could get a clue to help improve himself.

" _Maa_ , it's not exactly a double-edged sword but that good trait of yours can backfire a plenty depending on the situation." Fuu accepted the glass filled with tea from Itsuki. "You can easily get taken advantage of with that attitude, or you might be disliked by people who find busybodies annoying. Not many like frank people, much less withstand being around them for a long time… Oh, today's tea is good. What brand is this, Itsuki?"

The younger sister of Fuu smiled. "This week is Yuuna-san's family's homebrew."

Huh…? Issei paused as he looked down to the greenish-brown hot liquid in his glass.

The taste he got from it was sweet and sour, but light. It was almost like cherry-flavored. Looking back, the resident redhead was focusing herself entirely on tidying up the cupboard where the tea set and dispenser were at. Issei internally debated with himself if he should talk with Yuuna after all that but sending out a line of gratitude was fine, right?

"Thanks, Yuuna-chan!" Issei said. "It's delicious!"

 _…Eh, no reaction?_ Issei squinted his eyes and noticed the red tips of her ears. _Ah, looks like she still needs some time…_

"Oy, you Casanova. Don't get distracted already." Fuu knocked on the table twice as if knocking on a door. "…Getting back on topic, your attitude isn't going to save you if you keep this up. Issei, I'm not asking you to flip around and be a geek but nice guys like you would get stabbed in the back if you're not being careful enough."

 _The talk suddenly turned grim…!_ The boy instantly recalled the memories… actually, a lot of past occurrences where his tongue moved faster than his thought and _damn_ there were so much things to be nitpicked at that he held his cheeks with paling complexion. He could have _screamed_ like a little girl but the boy's sanity compelled him to proceed to the jaws of despair known as reality.

"I-Is that true…?" Issei asked, hoping that what he had heard was a ruse. "Please tell me you're not joking…!"

"I'm serious. _Dead serious_." Fuu blew air through her nose. "Just so you'd know, there are a few girls who've noticed your positive side but your reputation, antics and association automatically ruined their interests. Shinju-sama knows what else could have happened had you been an honor student from day one."

…Wait a minute… Didn't that mean…?

"I could have gotten a harem had I acted a little restrained?" Issei gaped at the wasted opportunity.

"Nah. You'll just attract the attention of a lot of girls, while getting no progress with any of them in developing a long-lasting relationship." Fuu shrugged. "Worst case scenario, there will be a lot of relationship issues that can give you school suspension and you may be assaulted while being unaware of what deeds you've done. That's definitely not something someone like you would want, right?"

He… couldn't disagree any more… Issei had to admit that Fuu had a point, though the theories were leaning more and more to a very, _very_ realistic approach. It was as if she had experienced that kind of romantic issue before…

"Hold on a sec there." Issei blinked. "Fuu-senpai, how come you're so knowledgeable about this?"

 _Huh,_ Fuu replied, mimicking the boy's expression. She proceeded to grab a bag of potato chips, opened it and then threw a chip into her mouth.

"Well, lots of people in my class went to me if it's about love advice," Fuu replied after eating and swallowing it. "Hah! I'm even called as the Master of Love Advice…! I'm an _expert_ in love!"

"F-Fuu-senpai, I think that sort of wording is a bit…" Tougou murmured only for it to be drowned halfway through by the senior's boisterous laughter.

 _Uhm_ , Issei nodded in agreement. _It's no good, this person is._

Not that there was anything wrong with that, but her advice just lost a lot of respect points from Issei. He had to sigh audibly just to make himself feel a little better but it didn't mitigate the damage completely.

Issei nursed the forming headache with his hand. "Ugh, so... Then, I'll have to watch my words and consider the other party?"

"That seems to be the only way left." Tougou reaffirmed with a nod, same went for Fuu and Itsuki.

"...But... What should I do so that I won't run away, again?"

There was a brief silence.

"If it's that...!" Yuuna suddenly exclaimed. "If it's that, I can help!"

...Huh? Issei looked at the redhead who had somehow stood close to him. His brown gaze met bright red and a wide smile appeared on the girl's angular face. He didn't miss the specks of red tinting her cheeks, though he reminded himself of his current priority.

"By helping... How will you do that, Yuuna-chan?"

As if expecting that response, Yuuna's grin widened and she straightened her back. With hands on her waist, the girl put up an ultra-confident posture that Issei had seen whenever she was about— _ah, the others are also smiling!_

"Hero Club's Five Tenets!" Yuuna shouted. "First, 'give people a good greeting!'"

"The second is 'try to not give up.'" Tougou followed.

"The third is always 'sleep well, eat well.'" Itsuki giggled.

"And the fourth is 'if you're troubled, talk to someone!'" Fuu stated.

As their gazes gathered on Issei, the boy looked around, having lost the chance to voice out any word. Even so, he could tell that they were urging him to say it. It was… It was a small nudge, an opportunity that must not be wasted. The small step of courage was here and so, the fifth and the last tenet was…

"…You're likely to succeed… if you try."

The smile Yuuna had was infectious by this point. Everyone nodded in acknowledgement, in pride, and in happiness as the boy accepted the precious baton of courage.

Thus Hyoudou Issei smiled. "Well, if it's like this… then there's no way I can back down, huh?"

The boy chuckled. _Ah, man. This is why I want to be here. I fell in love with you all-over again, girls._

* * *

The Seto Great Bridge connecting Shikoku to the mainland was located a fair distance away from Sanshu. The path stretched for more than forty kilometers and even with train, it would take nearly two hours to reach it. Usually, Issei would take the shortcut by using Boosted Gear but since the situation changed considerably, he took the train route and appreciated the fleeing scenery beyond the windows.

Shikoku was a beautiful place, Issei noted. He saw various things such as the humongous castle that was the Marugame Castle, a fortification built by the Nara Clan back before the Divine Era ushered in. It was a relic from the past but his father said that apparently, it was also a base for Taisha in case the Vertexes invaded Marugame. _He also said that the Shinju-kan is also close by it._

After dropping off the station closest to the Great Bridge, Issei looked up, meeting orange-dyed sky and he turned towards the path that would guide him to where _she_ was. He walked briskly though he maintained calm composure. His heart, on the other hand, pounded against his ribs and he felt heat slightly rising to his neck.

Despite all that, the boy paved his path. Unbending, determined, and steady without hesitation. Once he passed through various turns and straight lanes… he arrived at the park before the viewing spot he frequented to for the past several weeks.

There she was, lying on her bed while attended by several masked people who were the agents of Taisha. One of them noticed his approach and they for some reasons tensed up before the bedridden girl waved a hand at them, dismissing whatever discomfort they had.

When Issei arrived before the small steps separating the park and the viewing spot, he was met by a bizarre action.

One-by-one, the agents of Taisha lowered themselves to their knees. They moved their arms as one, the white and long _sode_ fluttering to cover their masks as they bowed their heads before planting them to the concrete floor.

"What…" Issei stared wide-eyed at the spectacle.

He almost dropped his schoolbag and forgot his plan completely had one of them refused to speak to him.

"We welcome your presence, o Heavenly Dragon, _Sekiryuutei_ Ddraig. What might your business be?"

It was a deep and rigid voice, practiced and formal in all senses. The person – the man was undoubtedly _way older_ than Issei's father yet the level of respect he gave to him was _earth-shattering_. What was wrong with—

[Hoo… Looks like they're not seeing 'you', partner.] Ddraig muttered in his mind. [Don't fear them. Don't try to give them much attentions either.]

What? That didn't make sense. These people were his elders! How could he just—

[They see you as _a dragon_ , not as a human or even as Hyoudou Issei.] Ddraig chided. [Your parents may be exempted from the rule but this is what you get when you try to talk to people who have devoted themselves to serve the supernatural. They see you not as a person but as a figure that is out of their reach.]

Isse's blood chilled at the though. Now he realized why he felt discomfort about this treatment.

Veneration. Admiration. Fear. Devotion. Religious belief. _Faith._

Treated with respect that bordered on fanaticism, Issei now realized that the people at Taisha recognized him as _something_ instead of _someone_. He wasn't _Hyoudou Issei_ in their eyes, but _Ddraig the Welsh Dragon_. He was a dragon, a divine figure, a deity with unimaginable power, an idol meant to be feared _and_ worshiped.

The boy wished he didn't come here at this moment. He could have picked a different time or waited for these… _believers,_ to leave the viewing spot. Even so… he was already involved _._ There was no way out of this. Either he chickened out or…

[What will you do, partner? Are these people more important than the goddess enshrined in the place ahead of you?] Ddraig asked. [What did you even come here for?]

 _…That… That's obvious, isn't it?_ Issei heaved, squared his shoulders, and moved _past_ the Taisha agents.

"Leave," he said. "I've got something to talk with Sonoko-chan."

The masked people in white didn't say anything. They simply stood up in practiced motion, bowed their heads and left the viewing spot. It wasn't long until he was completely alone with his friend, and…

"Sorry there, Han-kun…" Sonoko's voice reached out to him. "After yesterday, there's been quite an uproar in Taisha…"

"…Well, I _did_ do something impulsive." Issei exhaled, staring at the sea that glittered with the reflection of the sunset. "I mean… I want to say I've got a lot of people important to me but I just said… Well, _that_."

 _Not that it's any different though,_ Issei laughed. Giving a glance, he could tell that Sonoko was giggling. The harmonious tune she let loose was always a soothing one, and it relieved most if not all the tensions constricting Issei.

The boy then shook his head and approached the bed. Exchanging his gaze with the girl's, a smile bloomed on their faces.

"Heya. I came to visit you again, Sonoko-chan," Issei greeted. "How are you today?"

Sonoko blew air through her nose. "Was there even any need for that~? Han-kun, you _do_ know what you've done, right?"

 _Ah,_ Issei nodded. Since there was no chair present today, Issei decided to sit on the bedside. Of course, he didn't forget to pay attention to the details and he distanced himself so as to not cause any sort discomfort to his dear friend.

"Sorry about that," Issei said. "I guess I made a huge mess, huh…?"

"Yeah… Yeah, you did. It was amazing how much problem you dumped on me." Sonoko retorted. "If you didn't appear here by now, I'd make you take responsibility."

"Uwaah… that's harsh." Issei exasperated. "Please give me a break once in a while, Sonoko-chan…"

"Ehe he~ I wonder about that~?"

 _Damn, she's so adorable. Stop making yourself even cuter than this, Sonoko-chan…!_

…A comfortable silence dawned in. Issei's hair swayed, the brown strands moving along the wind's rhythm while his ears picked up the waves from the sea. It was growing cold even though summer was right around the corner. Still, the breeze brought to mind the scent of salts and Issei looked up to the ruined bridge.

"Say, Sonoko-chan," the boy called out. "Why can't the bridge be fixed?"

"…Well, that's because even if it's fixed, it can no longer serve its original function."

Original function? Issei didn't know that. He was taught by Heracles and he talked a lot with Gin, but he had never heard that term being used for the Great Bridge. _Ah, Gin-sensei said something about Vertexes never going through any entrance beside that place…_

"Is it related to the Vertexes?" He asked.

"Un… Well, it was once installed with chimes that rings whenever a Vertex appeared." Sonoko nodded. "To stop the Vertexes, there was also a method called Flower Calming Ceremony, but…"

"…Did it fail?"

Sonoko quietly shook her head, and yet she chose to not explain. Issei wondered why but everyone was entitled with their own opinion and choices. If that was Sonoko's wish, then he would respect that wish and say nothing more.

"…It was the bridge that linked this land with the 'outside'…" Sonoko whispered. "Like a ladder that connects the earth and the heaven… I guess it could be called as _Ama-no-Mihashira_."

Stairway to Heaven… That name, somehow, Issei had a feeling it had an important meaning but for the life of him, he couldn't remember why. He just sort of knew, but his thoughts quickly muddled up so he grumbled quietly and cleared his head. _I'm not here to talk about boring stuff like that, anyway._

"…Hmm… So, are we close with the heaven?" The boy asked.

"That's not wrong, but it's not right either~" The girl replied with a drawl.

"Huh. That sounds confusing." He scratched his head.

The girl beamed. "Yep…! I tried my best to make it confusing~!"

A laughter broke out. From the boy and the girl, both of them laughed as if without worries to the world. As if everything was alright with the world.

Even as silence once again settled, the smiles they had on their faces remained. Even though the two were not facing each other, something existed there. A mark of their friendship, a precious bond.

"…Nee, Han-kun." The girl called out.

"Hmm?" The boy responded. "What is it, Sonoko-chan?"

"…For now, I don't think I can accept your feeling."

"…Ah." Issei muttered. " _...I... knew it_. I guess that's just how it goes, huh?"

 _Aaaaah… I got rejected. Now I want to die…!_

[Oh, please. You're not even thinking in making that line.]

 _Gee, what a busybody,_ Issei huffed internally as the dragon sneered in annoyance. _Fine, I admit defeat for today so—_

"You're not upset...?"

 _...Of course I'm upset,_ Issei thought but without throwing out the accursed four words. He could feel something creaking inside him. Something groaned like a twisted metal and his heart threatened to burst apart. _It burns like hell, and I can't even do something about it!_

His thoughts raced as his body temperature rose. Issei was sure he could spring in action at any moment now. He could just leave or yell at Sonoko for being so inconsiderate. He had all the right to do so. After all, it took a lot of courage for him to face the resulting catastrophe he had caused... but he didn't do that. No, he would never do that. Like hell he would, when it was all _his_ fault that started this mess.

 _I'm not going to let myself be controlled by anger. Not in front of my friend. Not like this._

Calm down. Calm down, Issei. There was no point in letting the dam burst. Yes, it was painful but so what? Was that a problem? Was that fury and disappointment something that could be accepted, or even unleashed?

 _Of course not! That's why… That's why I…_

"I… Only… It's only a bit," Issei confessed before he expelled a deep sigh. "My pride is in pieces and I was shot down because I slipped up. It's the worst thing ever."

He was sure he wouldn't live this down. First impression was always the strongest, and Issei's first confession got himself rejected instead of accepted. He had basically lost his first chance to get a girlfriend.

"...I won't forget this, you know?" Issei asked.

"Un... But I don't think I'm ready to be in relationship." Sonoko replied.

"Don't you feel sorry for me?" Issei asked again.

"I do, but…"

 _But,_ she didn't say anything more than that. There was no reason for her to stop and yet she did, as if something was obstructing her from voicing out her mind.

...Looking at such Sonoko, Issei's hand traveled to reach the mat of dirty blond hair.

"It's fine, you know…?" Issei muttered, trying his best not to show the pain of his heart. "I can say the same thing about myself... I don't think I'm ready to get a girlfriend yet."

The words about the possibility of suffering a horrible death by Vertex was left unsaid. He wouldn't want to worry Sonoko when she had already suffered more than enough. Trapped in this lonely place, surrounded by those insensitive people… _There's no need for her to know that I have a high chance to die in the near future._

However, he had an inkling that Sonoko noticed. She was a smart girl. She must have thought of that at least once before. After all… _She's a Hero as well._

Then, what was the point of hiding the fact? Somewhere, deep inside his heart, an answer came and whispered. _Because I don't want to say goodbye._

What a depressing thought. To think he was this much of a coward… Issei wasn't sure if he should be proud or disgusted of himself. This… wouldn't do, right? As if this kind of thought had a right to be in his mind… right?

"…Yeah. This wouldn't do." Issei quietly murmured to himself. "…Say… C-Can we still be friends, Sonoko-chan…?"

Hiding his fear. Hiding his emotions and faking it with a restrained smile, the boy lowered his head to meet the girl's gaze at the eye-level.

"I don't want to be obnoxious, but… Even if we can't be a couple, I want to be friend with you." Issei tilted his head. "Who knows, maybe you'll fall in love with me again. Maybe in the future, you will be ready for it."

 _I can hope, right?_ Issei wouldn't mind if that were to happen, although to be completely honest… He just didn't want to lose a friend. The thought scared him. He didn't want to think of losing another friend from his life. He wouldn't want the tie he had with Sonoko disappear.

A bond with someone he held dear was precious. Everything he cared about was precious. Everything was—

"…Of course we can be friends."

Before he could notice, a slender hand reached out and touched Issei's cheek. It was slightly cold, but there were traces of warmth and the fingers that cupped his wet cheek were soft.

"Han-kun…" Sonoko breathed in. "We can still be friends. This time, let's start over and go step-by-step."

Brown pools reflected brown. As the sunset illuminated the world, faint glimmers of stars faded into view alongside the moon.

"I don't know much about you…" The girl looked down. "But I want to know you. I think… I like you, but it's still not enough."

Issei's breath was caught in his throat. As the world shrunk only to him and the girl before him…

"Slowly but surely. Bits by bits… I want to be closer with you," she said. "Tempering our trusts, making new memories with each other…"

Sonoko smiled, pulling him closer and leaned her head forward to touch him softly at the foreheads.

"We'll be closer, tying our bond as time goes by," Sonoko whispered. "Again and again and again until someday…"

 _Someday..._

"...When everything is over, when my heart is ready… _Will you be my dearest?_ "

As he heard those words, his eyes blinked, discovering a sliver of tear lining down the cheek of the bedridden girl. It was reflecting the color of the dusk, but it was a shining light which nearly made his heart drop.

Was she crying from sadness? No, she wasn't. After all, that smile she had was a genuine one that had no room for lies. It was impossible for Sonoko to lie when her voice conveyed the contents of her heart. Her honesty was something that could _never_ be doubted.

Clearly, Hyoudou issei was in love with Nogi Sonoko. Surely, the girl before him was someone he would be glad to give up his life for. That was just how precious she was. This frail flower blooming with innocence was one that he badly crushed on.

"Sonoko-chan…" Issei chuckled. "Yeah. _Absolutely!_ "

As the sun slowly drowned and the night sky revealed itself, the boy was sure that he had forged a bond with someone, a person very important to him. Someone among many who he would love to be connected with.

It was a small step, nothing but a number in front of the tall hurdle he had to climb over. Even so, it was still a step forward and that meant he was getting closer with his dream, one that Issei had sworn himself to fulfill without fail. In order to do that, he had to be better than this, better than the boy he was... To be a man worthy of a wonderful woman like Sonoko...  
 _  
For sure, I will make my dream comes true._


	24. Interlude - Tougou Mimori

Morning in the Tougou household was calm and tranquil. As always, it began with waking up early with a mental exercise by reviewing classical – the Old Era's history word-by-word. Undoubtedly, this wasn't something anybody would do but Tougou Mimori had all the reasons to do it. It brought immense joy whenever she recalled the greatness of her country before the apocalypse arrived, and she was proud to say that she was not a useless person, much less a deserter from now onward.

Indeed, she had to thank her beloved friends for that.

Even so, as the cool winds of the morning entered her room through the opened partitions, her morning exercise was interrupted by a mail from her classmate. Holding the white smartphone that doubled as a Hero System, Tougou traced her finger on the screen and at several icons. Then she read the message out loud.

"'Tougou-san, can I come over to your house for some help…?'" The girl in the wheelchair tilted her head. "Hmm…? Why would – _ah_."

Tougou remembered that it had only been two days ever since _that_ happened. To be honest, she felt like the event progressed a bit too quick to follow but she knew that she must reward her friends' tireless efforts. Though she wasn't sure if it went smoothly, she hoped that everything had gone well. _Hmm, could it be that_ this _too is related to_ that _?_

Moving the smartphone so that the upper edge of it touched her chin, the black-haired girl stared at the garden beyond the porch with a sideway gaze.

 _Well, today is Sunday and Yuuna-chan is in her father's dojo… Fuu-senpai and Itsuki-chan are living in an apartment several blocks away from here too, so…_

"Un. Very well, then."

With a plan formed, the girl typed on the smartphone, proofread it twice and pushed the reply button. Tougou smiled a little as her mind wandered a little until she came to a stop.

 _Wait… A boy is visiting me?_

"A, ah… Oh no, perhaps I should change my clothes." Tougou glanced around. "Oh! I have to tell mother too…! Ah, uh… Huh? Another message – _eh?!_ He's already on the way!?"

…It didn't seem like today's morning would remain as quiet as before.

* * *

True to the last message she received, she did not have to wait for long. It took only ten minutes for her guest to arrive at the front door and because Tougou had yet to finish changing clothes to a more appropriate dress, her friend was ushered in by her father to the living room.

 _Auhh… Even though this is the first time a boy visited our house, I already failed in greeting him as a proprietor…_

With a sigh of disappointment, Tougou fixed her sleeves, collars, the white shirts hugging her body and straightened her skirts so that there were no folds. At the very least, she could bestow a proper appearance and that meant she could still fulfill her duty.

"Oh my, aren't you being tense, _Mimori?_ "

 _Ah, mother…_ Looking behind her, a woman with similar facial feature and hair color covered her lips with a hand, spilling out an amused giggle.

If Tougou tried to make a comparison, the woman would be a head taller than Fuu who stood at five-feet and four-inches, and her frame was particularly slender for an adult of her age. She was wearing a sweater with long skirts that reached down to her ankles and her black hair was styled to be slung over her shoulder like Tougou did hers.

Still, the daughter cleared her throat and replied to her mother's question, disregarding the awkwardness in the air or even the unnoticeable tug of her lips upon the mention of her first name.

"No, umm… It's just," Tougou fumbled for words. "He is my classmate and he's here for…"

…Now that she thought about it, she didn't ask the reason of the boy's visit. It was abrupt and Tougou was too occupied by the time limit she was given with.

"Studying together?" Her mother's smile softened. "Then I should ready snacks and drinks for both of you."

 _Uhm… I don't think that's the case…_ Tougou had no words but she too realized that it was better to leave the conversation as is. It wasn't like she had any answer to the question, but still…

Taking a deep breath in, Tougou readjusted her composure. As her mother left her room to call in her friend, the clock hanging on the wall ticked without cares. It… made her to rub the back of her left hand a few times as she gazed at the doorsteps connecting her room with the corridor.

When she heard approaching footsteps, Tougou straightened her back a little. Entering her view first was her father, a man with deep blue kimono and following after him was a brown-haired boy in red t-shirts and blue jeans that made him as a dichotomy in this Japanese house.

His eyes swam a little before they reflected her figure. The girl was about to let loose a greeting but the boy's wide grin obstructed her, and stealing the opportunity, cheerful words left from the boy's lips.

"Hey! Sorry for intruding in and good morning, Tougou-san!"

As expected, Hyoudou Issei knew no bounds in transgressing the codes the girl tried to uphold.

* * *

There were a lot of problems with this set up, Tougou noted. Not only was she alone in a room with a boy her age, it was also the first time that anyone beside Yuuna and her parents entered this place. Honestly, there must be something that she missed if she was reacting like a shy girl with debilitating social issues.

Giving a glance to the boy she started to invest her trust in, she wasn't sure if it was alright for him to be here. Bringing in a boy into her bedroom, all alone as they closed in the distance between them and – _N-no, stop! How could_ I _imagine such indecent idea!? Evil thoughts, begone!_

"So this is a girl's room…" Issei wondered aloud. "…It's… Tougou-san, it sure does show your taste."

 _...Mgh._ Was it that obvious? Not even the boy with open love to the opposite gender could deny that her room had no real personality, huh… Certainly, Tougou's preference was mostly invested in traditional Japanese culture. In fact, it was to the point that she abhorred the usage of English slang words, much less thinking of using it.

Still, what should she respond to his words, now? In the end, Tougou chose to ask her guest while wearing difficult expression.

"I… Should I take that as a compliment?"

"Eh? Ah, it's not like I'm badmouthing you! I wasn't trying to!"

 _But you sounded as if you meant every word of it…_

Setting aside the pout that left her lips, it might be better to switch the subject. It wasn't good to dwell in a rut and it wasn't like the two had all the times in the world. Thankfully, there was something Tougou needed to know no matter what right now.

"Issei-san…" Tougou paused. "Why do you wish to meet me? Did something happen?"

With her being in the wheelchair, there was of course some inconveniences. Even as she wanted to serve her guest with tea, the boy decided to stand ready in case something happened. _He resembles Yuuna-chan in that part, both are equally dazzling whenever that side of theirs appeared._

Even more, the boy in front of her had a powerful adaptability rate. It could even be said that the boy's talent lied there but beside that, there was nothing noteworthy about him. Perhaps his determination and diligence but anyone could have them even without a little push.

Still, for some reasons, there was something different about the current Hyoudou Issei.

"Hmm." Issei took out the bag on his back. "I've got a lot of things in classes I don't understand so I'd like to ask you for help, Tougou-san."

…Oh? He… wanted to study? Tougou nearly let her emotion betraying her but she held tight and refocused herself.

"Studying…?" She raised an eyebrow. "I didn't expect you to be here for that, Issei-san."

"Yeah… Well, my old man told me to stop mopping around but I'm not in the mood of playing around. Plus, I've got nothing else other than studying in mind." The boy sighed as he fished out several notes from his bag. "Seriously, even though I already got over the rejection…"

…Huh?

What? What was that she had heard? Did she hear it right? Issei was rejected? What did that mean? Was that a joke? No, it must be a joke, right…!?

"Umm, Issei-san," Tougou called out. "I'm not sure… if I heard it right. Are you saying the response you received was rejection…?"

The boy stared at her as if she had grown two heads.

"Hmm... How should I put it?" Issei crossed his arms. "I encouraged myself, got on the train, dropped off the station close to the Great Bridge and then met her again."

 _And…?_

"Then she rejected me."

 _…My head hurts._ Tougou could feel a headache forming but she couldn't just show it in front of the guest. That wouldn't be right! As a proper Yamato Nadeshiko, it was her _duty_ to be a welcoming proprietor and making the guests uncomfortable would be catastrophic!

 _Yes. Calm down. Take a deep breath in... Now exhale. Inhale… Exhale… Alright_.

"W-Why?" Tougou stuttered. "Why would you be rejected…?"

Contrary to the girl who could barely retain her composure, the boy was the epitome of calmness that bordered on carefreeness at the level of Fuu. It was a bad sign since no matter how prepared everyone could be, the world couldn't handle two Fuus running rampant without two Itsukis to control them.

As Tougou's mind wandered, however, Issei shrugged his shoulders.

"Well, she's not ready and I also screwed it all up by running away in the first place."

"J-Just like that…?" Tougou inhaled.

"Just like that." Issei nodded, only for him to shake his head afterward. "Ah, well… Not exactly like that but most of it is because of those two things. I mean, if there's nothing else, I'm happy I was rejected because…"

Under the girl's gaze, Issei looked around with pointed stare. It was new for him to be _this_ awkward so Tougou followed his direction and found that he laid his eyes on the white smartphone on the table. _Oh…_

"…We're still fighting," Issei said. "I don't know what I should do if she actually accepted my confession. It might be great and amazing, but if something were to happen…"

The boy didn't stopped on finishing his sentence. Tougou understood the implications beneath the silence. Why he was glad he got rejected… Why wasn't he being unreasonable and acting all calm despite his love refused by the person he loved… It was because—

"Are you afraid, Issei-san…?" The girl asked, not believing that the boy before her was the same person as the one who recklessly did a javelin throw despite having his arms full of holes.

Afraid of death. Afraid of not seeing a new morning. Afraid of no longer able to see beloved ones or living a regular life devoid of worries and violence once and for all…

"Who wouldn't?" The boy replied. "We don't know when the next attack comes. We don't even know what kind of strength or number the enemy will bring out next time. All we can do is wait and see what will happen, but…"

"...There's no guarantee the Vertex will remain as easy target either."

Yes. There was no doubt. Just fighting three of them was already hard enough but if many of them combined together like before...

Tougou wished the day of fighting Vertexes in that caliber would never come. Unfortunately, there was no guarantee of that not happening as well.

The black-haired girl sighed, shaking her head a little. "I didn't know you'd be so thoughtful about this, Issei-san."

"Heh. Maybe that's why I was told to get off bed for today." The boy rubbed spot between his nose and his lips.

Indeed, that might be the truth. Even so, it was the first time Issei showed a worrywart attitude and it was… it was refreshing to know a new side of her friend like this. Tougou could tell that her cheeks had slackened a little but then again, there was nothing wrong with that, right?

Besides, the more important matter was right before her. It'd be better if this was discussed with the others, not to mention prying on the issues would most likely make Issei uncomfortable. He had all the rights to maintain his privacy and he must be given with time enough to heal the wound on his heart. _In that case, I should inquire him without needlessly troubling him._

It wasn't like she wasn't curious either.

Tougou believed herself as an unfair if not shrewd woman, thus she took this chance as a golden opportunity. Raising her right hand up to her chest level, she successfully drew the attention of the boy.

"I'm afraid I cannot heal your broken heart, Issei-san," she said. "Even so, you will not let this drag you down, right?"

The boy beamed at her.

"Yep! This won't stop me!" He leaned forward. "That's why, please help me, Tougou-san…!"

"About what? Studying or training?" Tougou turned the wheelchair, extended a hand to the table and reached for a book – Classical History. "I doubt I am of any help for the latter, but if you wish to catch up with the lessons you've missed so far, I think I can help you."

She heard a groan and the girl chuckled quietly.

"Oh, don't worry. If you need that sort of help…" Tougou lifted her chin. "Maybe you can try asking Yuuna-chan."

"Hmm?" Issei made a sound. "…Ah, that's right. Yuuna-chan's father is a black-belt martial artist… Ugh, looks like I'm making a killer schedule at this point…"

 _So you intend to do everything you can to make sure nothing will go wrong…_

Tougou nearly exasperated. It was noble of him, but now she was worried if he would overwork himself. Thinking about it now, perhaps this was a sign given by the Shinju. _I can repay him for everything he has done by looking out for him..._

Yes. That must be the best course of action for Tougou right now. She was thankful for his efforts and kindness, and yet she was barely capable of helping him when he was in trouble. It wouldn't do. It wouldn't be fair. If so...

"If that's what you think, make sure you can take a break once in a while." Tougou turned again to face Issei. "Now, why don't we begin our study session?"

Lending her help would be the right course of action. Supporting each other was the correct decision that coincided with her heart's desire. As fellow Heroes, as comrade-in-arms... and as friends who treasured the same thing.

Without a doubt, Tougou Mimori believed this notion from the depths of her heart.


	25. Chapter 22 - Moral Poise I

At the break of dawn, Sanshu was covered with white mist that extended from the entire town all the way to the sea. Even so, breaking the quiet morning with rhythmic footsteps was a brown-haired boy in a tracksuit. Sweat glistened on his forehead, his breathing rough yet controlled and his brown eyes glared ahead with powerful light.

As the street lamps turned off and the traffic lights went on, the boy arrived at a four-way junction. He waited while tapping the concrete pavement on the same spot. His running shoes created a series of tapping noise though it wasn't as fast or as intense as his heartbeats.

[Not bad, partner.] The dragon residing in his body rang in. [If you keep up the pace, you'll definitely be able to use Boost up to eight times soon.]

...So a month of hell training gave only two Boost upgrades. Issei didn't know if he should be proud or disappointed about that.

"You know..." Issei glanced at the green light and crossed the street with a small jog. "I doubt this will raise my survival rates greatly, Ddraig."

[It depends on the enemy as well,] the Welsh Dragon notified him. [The world we live in is a chaotic one; full of crazy things. Naturally, there are a lot of beings who can easily squish us like a bug right now, but at least the current you wouldn't lose so easily to grunts nor Strays.]

Haa... That sounded reassuring, alright. Issei had no idea about the second half of Ddraig's explanation so he asked about it while he trekked around the town for the second time.

[Grunts would be small fries like mindless monsters, typical low-rank magicians, untrained Exorcists or the likes of your parent,] Ddraig explained. [Strays refer to those who betrayed their species because of reasons. There are Stray Exorcists, Stray Devils, and so on. Though there are dangerous Strays that can fight on par with a fledgling Champion, most Strays are weak as hell.]

 _...I'm not sure I can follow. Sounds like there are a lot of things that would fight me just because, now..._

[Technically, that's the fate of those bearing power. The way the world works especially made our race to be a magnet of troubles and delicious bait for those who hunger for power.]

 _In other words...?_ Issei took a deep breath in as he looked up on an uphill road. He gulped his saliva, licking his dry lips before he braved himself for a harsh trial.

[In other words,] Ddraig parroted. [There's a chance for a fight to come looking for you instead of the other way around.]

"I'll pass on that," Issei waved and sighed. "I'm not a battle-junkie like you and I prefer boobs more than that, thank you very much."

The red dragon snorted, and the boy shrugged. Continuing his morning exercise, he sprinted past the uphill road, coursing through the downhill curving streets and leaped over a stone staircase when he took a shortcut.

There were a lot of things he saw. A shallow river that sparkled as morning sunlight fell upon it, a stone Torii pinned by trees which bristled together from the breeze, and a small beach where he saw several people with the same agenda like him.

Well… not that they were preparing themselves for real battle but the beach had a good terrain. It was suitable for rough sports and combat training.

Issei glanced over the back of a kendo practitioner who swung her wooden swords earnestly. _There really_ are _a lot of things I want to protect…_

* * *

"Morning…!" Issei greeted the entire class.

 _There he is,_ someone said and Issei swiveled his head, meeting the gazes of his friends. One of them rushed forward and his hands were pulled forward before raised to his chest level.

"Ise-senpai, are you alright!?" Yuuki Yuuna shouted.

 _…Uh, huh?_ "Y-Yuuna-chan…? What do you mean by—"

Issei glanced ahead and his eyes widened a little. Behind the desk at the far end of the classroom. One girl in a wheelchair shook her head. It made Issei to turn his gaze again and he stared at Yuuna, his mind finally connecting the scattered dots.

"…I-It can't be…!" Issei eyes darted before they fixated themselves to reflect the piercing red gaze. "No, wait! Y-Yuuna-chan!? What are you doing!? Look where we are—"

"That's not important!"

 _But it's important for me…!_ The boy seriously considered on running away but Yuuna's tight grip and proximity simply paralyzed his body and mind. Despite that, somehow, the thoughts of them being seen in the wrong light snapped Issei's mind back to work. _I mean, we're in the classroom, people are watching and I don't want to embarrass myself_ this _early…!_

[So you're alright embarrassing yourself if it's later…?] The legendary dragon of the Old Era piped in.

 _Be quiet…! That's not important!_

[Uh-huh. Fine, I won't help you, then.]

 _Wait, what!? No, please don't go, Ddraig-sensei…!_

Much to his despair, the presence of the dragon waned and now he was left alone without any help. The boy immediately sent a pleading look to his other friend but again, Tougou Mimori shook her head weakly.

All hope was lost that morning, and a new rumor about him surfaced in Sanshu Municipal Middle School. What followed after that was one poor boy helplessly crying out to the heaven.

* * *

After school. Domestic Sciences Preparation Room – now used for extra-curricular activity Hero Club. It had five members starting this year and everyone had gathered together… With one of them already down for the count even though nothing barely started.

"…Now what?" The senior who doubled as the Club Leader – Inubouzaki Fuu – looked dryly at the slumped form of her junior whose head rested motionlessly on the table. "What happened this time?"

Her other two juniors looked away from her pointed stare. The redhead who was Yuuna had tinted red cheeks and entwined her fingers together as if not knowing to say. Meanwhile, her best friend Tougou exasperated and coughed into her fist.

"Ah, well…" She replied. "Let's just say our class was in a state of uproar, and Issei-san became the eye of the storm that followed."

 _Mhmm,_ Fuu nodded with a flat expression. Clearly, she wasn't buying that at all. Say what you want, but the blonde third-year wasn't someone who could be easily fooled. It wasn't hard to suspect that there was a very personal issue which reduced the Hero Club's newest addition into a beaten rag.

However, the mystery remained so Fuu rubbed her chin and pondered. _If there's something that happened today, it would be…_

"So…" She drawled. "What was it again? That rumor about someone's lovelife getting crushed even before it started?"

Three out of five people twitched _violently_ at her guesswork. Next to her Itsuki laughed sheepishly, and so Fuu pinched the bridge of her nose. _So it's these brats, huh…_

"Seriously? I mean, really? Did it have to turn out like this?" The third-year shook her head. "Ugh, forget it. Looks like we're having another emergency meeting then. Now everyone, assemble! Chop chop, since our schedule is pretty tight."

They all complied. Gathering around the table, Fuu confirmed that everyone was paying attention. Even the reluctant Issei who was too dead tired to even say anything. He rotated his head so that his cheek cushioned his head and his eyes moved to reflect Fuu's figure.

"Alright! We'll do a debriefing so listen well." Fuu stood off her chair, her long twintail swaying behind her back. "Last time, the request we've got from our club member was about his confession event and how to finish it properly. End result… well, I think everyone already knows by this point."

 _And Yuuna, don't try to laugh it out this time,_ the girl added, preventing her problematic junior from doing anything. All she could do now was shrinking her shoulders like a scared small animal.

"Moving on, do you have anything to say about this, Issei?" Fuu crossed her arms under her chest.

"Ugh… Besides my reputation taking a bad hit…?" The boy raised his head a little.

"Your reputation was already nonexistent even before this, you silly boy."

Then it fell onto the table with a dull thud. A muffled groan was heard, then a sorrowful cry, but after that, Issei slowly got up and sighed. He leaned his back against the chair as he scratched his head.

"I'm _totally_ fine," Issei started. "Seriously, I've already put it past me and it's not like I broke ties with her. Sonoko-chan is still my friend and well… we promised each other to do a retry after both of us are ready."

…Huh, it was something new again. Fuu had a good amount of experiences in being a love advisor but she didn't expect Issei to smooth things out despite the terrible turn of events. Of course, everyone was aware, thus the girls stared at the boy with eyes full of curiosity.

Especially now that there was a dropped name as well.

"A retry…" Tougou tilted her head. "So you will go out with her only after the two of you are completely ready for it?"

"Hmm… Not exactly." Issei pursed his lips into a thin line. "I guess it's more like she's giving me another chance. Like in those films where the hero and the heroine go out only after the war ends. We all have priorities, so only after all the problems are over will I get a clear answer."

Fuu flatly stared.

"Issei, that's a death flag there."

"As long as I return alive, it's not a death flag, right?"

No, well, that wasn't wrong but it wasn't right either. The logic the boy had was definitely full of holes but it was true that it wouldn't be a death flag if he came back home in one piece. Still… Fuu nursed her throbbing forehead and sighed.

"You're not going to give up even if reality grounded you to pieces, aren't you?" She asked.

"Yep," the boy replied, emphasizing the 'p' strongly. "I'll get back up no matter how many times. I'll get what I want even if I have to change the entire world."

 _Because,_ he paused, drawing in the silence to attract attentions from his friends. He stood off his chair, straightened his back and grinned from ear-to-ear. Fuu shook her head a little as the boy spread his arms wide, fully expecting the answer that would leap out from his mouth in the next second.

"I will be a harem king! I'll make my own happy end where everyone can be happy!"

…Ah, right. How very like Hyoudou Issei, indeed. The older Inubouzaki sibling exasperated and yet bore a warm smile that mirrored everyone's. _Well, it's not like a childish dream like that is forbidden to pursue._

After all, anyone had the right to dream. Be it her, her younger sister, her classmates and friends… Everyone had something to strive for. What mattered the most was how the dream would take shape in, so she had no doubt that there were still a lot of things the boy before her needed to learn _._

 _Honestly, my junior is such a handful._

* * *

With that being said, the day progressed as smoothly as ever. Issei heaved up a stack of books and walked alongside Yuuna who was carrying the same amount of books, both of them following a teacher to the faculty room.

"Ah, sorry there, Yuuki, Hyoudou." The teacher grunted. "It'd take too much time and effort if I did this by myself."

Yeah… that might have been true but Issei had an inclination that requests in need of heavy lifting had been flooding in lately. Was it coincidence or was it simply because there was a male addition to the Hero Club?

"It's fine…!" Yuuna beamed. "The Hero Club will gladly help troubled people! Sensei should care more about his back more than this!"

Uhmm… Yuuna knew not to be subtle, sometimes although she raised a good point. The language teacher before them was already pushing past fifty. Not only his eyesight had grown worse, his hair had turned almost completely white and the wrinkles on his face were far too conspicuous to be misinterpreted.

 _Rather than an old man, isn't he more like a grandpa?_

By the time the task was finished, the sky had grown red and the clouds darkened by several shades. Wind sailed past an open corridor where Issei and Yuuna walked in. There was a scent of leaves with slight flavor of salt.

"Urgh… Man, my shoulders hurt." Issei sighed while popping a joint around the neck.

"Ah, do you want a massage after this, Ise-senpai?" Yuuna asked from beside him.

He gave a nod at that. Honestly, he was too tired to even argue and if someone was offering help he needed, then he'd gladly accept it. Of course, he also had the desire to pay them back to make it even.

"Thanks, Yuuna-chan."

"No no! Senpai worked really hard today so isn't that a given?"

"Yeah, but still… _Thanks_."

There could be a better way to explain it. Issei knew that mere words of gratitude would never be enough but for now, all he could say was that alone, a short and simple 'thanks'.

Yuuna's smile softened at that. With her hands held behind the small of her back, the redhead strode past the boy with her white ribbon and ponytail fluttering from the wind. Issei watched as his friend twirled around, her skirts dancing a little and her indoor shoes tapped the ground with defined sound.

She bent a little, and then she said, "You're welcome, _senpai_."

The sunset flickered in his eyes. The faint noise of ocean waves echoed from the distance, and as if resonating with the bristling leaves of trees that stood at the courtyard surrounding the open corridor, Issei's heart pounded faster than before, reverberating like a Taiko drum.

He was sure his body temperature had risen a little. His lips were dry and it was very, _very_ difficult to even avert his eyes away from the girl standing right before him. _Kami, how could she be so unfair…?_

The boy's eyes traveled to the twilight, catching the sight of dry leaves carried by the winds…

Then they stopped as if frozen in time.

"…Ah."

Sounds of bell echoed, like a warning alarm going off. Somewhere out there, bells rang while a pillar of light divided the sky. The world was torn open, the fabric of reality altered by a realm of darkness that was soon purified by myriad colors.

As the earth below the youths' feet trembled, a storm of flower petals blew past them. Even so, the two didn't cower. They didn't avert their eyes nor did they speak any more words. They glared ahead, steeling their hearts for what was about to come.

The battle to protect their world had begun, once more.

* * *

The Jukai – also known as the Sea of Trees – was an alternate realm the Shinju created to both entrap Vertex and prevent unnecessary chaos from occurring. While everything in the real world was frozen in time until either the Vertex or the Shinju destroyed, it was hard to praise the concept as any change to the Jukai would be reflected in reality.

"Oh, there they are, Senpai!" Suddenly Yuuna stated out, distracting the boy from his thoughts.

Issei glanced up, and the figure of the Hero clad in pink and white crossed over the dark sky.

"Whoa! Hey, Yuuna-chan!?"

"Aha ha haaa!" Yuuna laughed. "I'm going on ahead, Senpai!"

 _Darn...!_ Unlike him who had to rely on his Sacred Gear's escalating enhancement, Heroes like Yuuna could easily cover a large distance by a single leap powered by will and divine blessing. While he had to accept this as the norm, he couldn't help thinking it was utterly unfair to him.

[You're focusing on the wrong thing like always, partner...] Ddraig exasperated.

"It's the truth, though..." Issei murmured and tripped while he sprinted forward. "Uwhoa!? The footing sure is unstable here..."

Well, it was kind of expected. The Jukai was a humongous forest covering the entire Shikoku island. The vines were huge and dense like blocks of concrete pressed together, their colors distracting if stared at for too long but aside from that, it was a perfect place to enact guerilla tactics.

"Oy, Issei! Stop making us wait!" The boisterous voice of his senior reached out.

"Ah, sorry, sorry!" Issei apologized.

He leaped down from a vine and joined a group of four. From the looks of it, everyone was already combat ready and while the Inubouzaki siblings stood apart from each other a little, Yuuna expectedly stood next to her best friend Tougou. _Hmm... Yuuna-chan said the enemy is still at the edge of the Walls, so..._

Shelving any thought other than one thing, Issei proceeded to hum wordlessly, his two fingers pressing on his chin.

"...Now what?" Fuu, the yellow-adorned Hero with a great sword asked.

"Hmmm..." Issei hummed, completely ignoring the question in favor of feasting his eyes on the scenery before him.

While Yuuna's Hero form was simple and practical, her best friend was wearing blue bodysuit wrapped with tight white dress and ribbons. He wasn't too surprised that Tougou's Hero form came with a support add-on that could assist her in 'standing up' but seeing her move around using _ribbons_ was still something to get used to… _Wait, it's not the time to evaluate those points!_

Priorities, Issei! He had to appreciate her appearance so leveling an intense glare from up to down, Issei rubbed his chin for a few moments... Then he gave a toothy grin and a thumbs up.

"One hundred points!" He exclaimed.

"E-Eh...!?" The black-haired sputtered, immediately covering her chest with her arms.

 _Ah, her face is all red now! So cute—_

"'One hundred points' my ass!" Fuu retorted and hit Issei with a chop at the head. "Enough playing around! We've got a Vertex to take care of so pay attention already!"

Ouch. Now that went straight to the gut. Issei rubbed the spot he was hurting at and slowly straightened his back.

"Fine... Fuu-senpai, what are we going to do?" Issei asked. "What kind of thing are we fighting this time?"

The club leader nodded and took out her smartphone. She let everyone gather around her and Issei looked at the screen where the radar function detected the approaching enemy's signal. It was a big dot red coming from the direction where the Wall was at, and the name 'Capricornus' was attached to it.

"...Huh. It's only one this time," Yuuna muttered. "I wonder why?"

"Could it be to gauge our strength...? They certainly can learn and adapt to the point of outwitting us last time." Tougou presumed.

"It also has the same name as a star constellation..." Itsuki murmured. "The previous ones were Virgo, Sagittarius, Cancer, and Scorpio so..."

"The Vertexes all have some relation to constellations?" Issei tilted his head. "And their name also means 'highest point'... Is that supposed to have some purpose too?"

Despite the forming questions, none could be answered. Even with guesswork, Issei was plenty certain that nobody actually had a clear idea about the beings known as the Vertexes. Maybe other than them being born from the Virus that ended the previous era, but still...

"Ugh, that can wait for later!" Fuu interrupted. "At any rate, it's going to be here so let's just get ready!"

"Get ready, you say... How?" Issei asked.

"You'll succeed if you try!" Fuu sent out her right fist to the sky.

Eeeehhh... So it ended like that no matter what, huh. Issei was sure everyone shared his sentiment by flatly staring at the twintailed girl now, but she was too fired up to even notice their discomforts.

"...Say, Itsuki-chan," Issei glanced at the younger Inubouzaki sibling. "What's wrong with senpai?"

"Ah..." Itsuki sighed. "Onee-chan was about to pour seasonings on her udon when the Forestization warning appeared."

Ouch... So her mealtime was interrupted. Issei could tell what would happen after this battle was over, and he was sure Fuu would rage about it. Although, he doubted she would want to keep on being angry but without an outlet to use meant she was going to...

[Brutalizing that thing, huh?] Ddraig wordlessly hummed. [Not a bad idea. In fact, I approve of it.]

 _Nonononono! That's a bad idea, alright!?_

Rubbing his temple, Issei inhaled and exhaled. "...Looks like we have to keep her in bay, girls."

Everyone minus Fuu nodded.

* * *

Before long, everyone had placed themselves in positions though it was under their own discretion. Issei and Yuuna stood across each other, both hiding behind a vine. Meanwhile, Fuu stood in-between them, sword in hands with a posture like a wild beast about to pounce on her prey. Slightly on the back was Itsuki and far behind everyone was Tougou in case there came a need for artillery support.

 _...Unexpectedly, we somehow have a decent battle formation_ , Issei commented in his mind. He didn't know if everyone was just in sync or if some sort of divine intervention was at work but, well... A wise person said to not look at the gift horse, right?

[You mean "not look a gift horse in the mouth."] Ddraig exhaled. […Oh. Here it comes, partner.]

"Huh? Where—"

As fast as the wind, a large object tore the air. Both Yuuna and Issei could only stare with wide eyes as Fuu leveled her great sword in front of her, defending herself at the nick of time.

"Nggh...!" Fuu grunted, glancing below only to see how much she was pushed back from the surprise attack. "Well, ain't you a big one...!? Now, Yuuna! Issei!"

 _It's our cue!_ Issei fumbled but he ground his teeth together and glared ahead, his focus aimed at the giant sharp cone with steel wire attached at the base of it. That must be...!

"Yuuna-chan!" Issei shouted. "Sever those wires!"

"I don't think I can cut them but if it's dislodging them...!"

With a passionate battle cry, the two fighters leaped straight to the brown triangular cone. Boosted Gear called for the third Boost which Issei used to strengthen his fist to the limits, while Yuuna's fairy flashed into existence, bestowing her entire body with bright light that radiated pure, undiluted power.

They descended like bullets, their fists swinging down and striking true at their intended targets.

Yuuna hit the base where the wires were attached to the cone. At the same time, Issei hammered the cone, veering it off from Fuu. Her greatsword still smoking from the previous impact, the Hero clad in yellow looked behind her and shouted.

"Itsuki!"

Green strings of light shot out as if responding to her voice. They wrapped themselves around the giant object...

"One... Two..." Itsuki raised then pulled her arm in. "Three...!"

The wires shrieked as they tensed up. The cone-like object wrapped by Itsuki's vines was then dragged in and the figure of a monstrous being was revealed in the distance.

Almost everyone gasped at the sheer size of the thing. The Vertex had a shape that was neither organic nor inorganic. At best, they vaguely resembled a life form but stopping only at that. Meanwhile, this one – the Capricornus Vertex had a blocky feature with various sharp edges and corners. At the same time, it also had four limbs if the one that was restrained by Itsuki was taken account in.

"Ungh…! Onee-chan, hurry!"

"Alrighty!" Fuu shouted in acknowledgement before she jumped and landed on the wire that was the Vertex's body part.

She ran straight toward the enemy but as if anticipating her movement, the gigantic Vertex moved a part of its body to strike on the ground. What was it doing—

"Uwaah!?" Issei fell over as a wave of powerful tremor spread across the sea of trees, disrupting the flow of combat that was currently in favor of the Heroes.

Not only that, Itsuki lost her balance and her hold over the captured part of the Vertex failed, resulting in a chain of events where Fuu had to abandon her current foothold and allowed the Capricornus to retract its limbs—

 _"Too easy!"_

Then suddenly some small objects fell upon the Vertex's head and erupted in a series of explosions.

"What—" Issei's line was cut off as he looked upward, catching the figure of a small figure of – _is that a person!?_

Two more objects that seemed to be swords were thrown and exploded upon hitting the Vertex. He heard faint words traveling in the winds and as the fifth was thrown but to the ground, a familiar white circle of light flourished from beneath the Vertex. _Sealing Ritual…!?_

The intruder landed ahead of Issei and Yuuna. He identified brown hair tied in short twintail, red-black dress with four white coattails and the figure who turned to be a girl drew out twin swords from empty air.

A storm of flowers spiraled around the Vertex. Even as it regenerated its body and Encroachment spread from the spot it stood on, the Sealing Ritual restricted the monster from moving an inch forward.

"Ah, the Soul…!" Yuuna pointed out but the decahedron thing coming out from the Vertex's body spewed purple miasma. "Mgh!? G-Gas!?"

 _It's hard to breathe…!_ Issei covered his mouth and nose with his hand. Even though his armor had a helmet, it didn't fully cover his head, and it caused the gas to slip in and prickle his eyes. Something also warned him that he would choke to death if he were to inhale the thing even for a little bit.

"Hide yourself all you want…!" The girl clad in red yelled as she leaped towards the Vertex. "I can still feel your presence!"

The purple gas flowed around her as if it couldn't touch her. A deeper scrutiny informed Issei that her fairy – which looked like a plushy of a Warring State Era's samurai – was floating in front of her as if warding the gas away…

In the next moment there was a flash of light, and the Soul of the Vertex was sliced apart.


	26. Chapter 23 - Moral Poise II

"My name is Miyoshi Karin," the girl with brown twintail and seemingly formal air introduced herself in front of the entire class. "Pleased to meet you."

It was a day after the third battle. Despite the relief in knowing that five Vertexes had been successfully defeated, a sudden new arrival without prior notification clearly unnerved everyone. Issei went to his father to know what had happened the other day but the response he got was a simple 'she's not there to supervise you so there's nothing to be worried about.'

Well, Issei was _technically_ neither a Hero nor a supporter of Shinju, so being uninformed wasn't really a big deal. Still... _He should've at least told me beforehand, that lazy old man…!_

"Miyoshi-san transferred in due to her parents' business," the teacher explained. "She scored an almost perfect score on her entrance exam, but make sure you all get along with her, okay?"

While most of his classmates cheered – most of them being the boys – only Issei sighed and slumped his head onto the table. Giving a discreet sideway glance, his friends Yuuna and Tougou were in a similar state; both of them blinking owlishly at the transfer student.

After glumly sighing his depression out for the umpteenth time ever since this morning, Issei abandoned all thoughts and switched to auto-pilot.

* * *

Afterschool arrived in the blink of an eye and though the school area had mostly been vacated, the Domestic Science Preparation Room was buzzing with activity. Not that it was chaotic even when Issei entered but now, all of Hero Club members had decided on listening to the lengthy introduction of…

"And so – know that with my presence here, there is nothing but absolute victory that will await us!"

That's right, it's Miyoshi Karin. Issei pinched the bridge of his nose at the absurd confidence the brunette exuded, but it wouldn't do if he stayed depressed all-day long. Yuuna would drag him to clear up requests way before he could think about speaking up.

Anyway, it was time for a proper Q&A that couldn't be revealed to the public so…

"To appear now..." Tougou asked. "Is there a reason why Miyoshi-san only appeared now, and not when all of this started?"

The transfer student placed both of her hands on her waist.

"It's not as though I didn't want to join the fight, but Taisha had to double and even triple-check that everything's alright," she explained. "That way, they can prepare the most powerful Hero."

 _M, most powerful hero…?_ That sounded really grand… Issei had to wonder what that even meant as he joined his friends in letting out an awed, if not surprised sound.

"Basically, by using battle data collected from you all, Taisha prepared a complete and perfectly calibrated Hero. My Hero System is optimized to battle Vertexes and unlike you clueless newbies…" Issei visibly twitched at the casual insult. "I have years of combat experience!"

…Oh, so it was just _combat experience_. Issei breathed out while patting his chest. _Nothing really unusual, then._

"Wh-What's with that reaction!?" The transfer student exclaimed. "Are you looking down on me!?"

"Well… If it's combat experience, then everyone here has it. Particularly Yuuna-chan."

The redhead rubbed the back of her head while wearing a shy smile. The sight was enough to soothe the soul so both Issei and Tougou stared at their friend with warm gazes.

"Eh… I'm not that great," Yuuna said. "Ise-senpai could land a hit on my father even though he doesn't have formal martial art training until recently. I think Senpai is much, _much_ better than me…"

Huh…? Was she being humble? That Yuuna who always spoke that she would become a hero?

"Nah, Yuuna-chan. You're even more awesome than me. I can hardly keep up with everyone so you're _definitely_ better than me." Issei grinned.

"That's right, Yuuna-chan. There's no need to be ashamed of yourself!" Tougou added. "You are already _dazzling_ and _wonderful_ the way you are!"

As she was barraged by waves of praises from both of her sides, Yuuna shrank her shoulders and her face turned bright red. Issei soon noticed the steam rising from her head before the girl covered her face with her hands.

"What is this, some sort of romcom skit?" Fuu mumbled before she blew air through her nose and clapped her hands together. " _Maa_ , lack of combat experience can be overcome by hard work so there's nothing to worry about. Getting back to main business…"

 _Mgh,_ the transfer student flinched after taking the brunt of Fuu's steady gaze. However, she recomposed herself quickly and now she was once again wearing her default expression which was a combination of smugness and haughtiness.

…Did she have some sort of self-importance complex? A superiority complex? Issei felt that her air of confidence was unnatural, as if it was just a brave front or something… Wait, since when did he become able to assess someone's personality by their aura? Was this a result of his training—

"That's right!" Yuuna interrupted, pacing forward quickly to face the brunette. "Welcome to Hero Club! Let's work together from now onwards, _Karin-chan!_ "

"A-Already on _first name basis…!?_ No, wait, what are you talking about!?"

 _Weelll…_ Issei scratched his cheek as awkwardness leaked from there and the two girls in front of him interacted in a strange manner, what with Yuuna being Yuuna while Miyoshi… _Karin_ grew uncomfortable by her simple if not airheaded reactions to her words.

"Aah, I wonder how long can she endure talking with Yuuna?" The upperclassman chuckled, arms crossed and eyes showing a suspicious glint.

"Senpai, your grin looks really crooked right now." Issei commented.

"Onee-chan, schadenfreude is not nice." Itsuki chided.

Unfortunately, the blonde upperclassman merely waved and dismissed their words so very lightly that Issei had to sigh in unison with Itsuki. There was no helping it. Fuu's habit was acting up again, and once she started, nothing could stop her descent into 8th-grader Syndrome – also known as _Chuunibyou_.

The oldest person in the room struck an incomprehensible pose, her gaze unnaturally sharpened and light flashed in her green eyes.

" _Konguratsulashionsu!_ " Fuu stated with gratuitous use of butchered foreign language. "A Tsundere has joined the party…!"

See? She was full of ridiculousness like always – _wait, what?_

"A tsundere…?" Issei gasped, then tapped his palm with his fist. "I see! So she's a tsundere! No wonder this feels familiar!"

"Who are you lots calling 'tsundere'!?" Karin shouted. "Agh…! Whatever! A! Ny! Way! Now that I'm here, you all are dismissed from duty!"

"Eeeh!?" Yuuna exclaimed while Itsuki mirrored her reacction. "W-What is that supposed to mean!?"

"I meant what I said!" Karin huffed. "You all just happened to be picked because the Vertex appeared in your area! Now that I'm here, there's no room left for you newbies! Also…!"

Huh? For some reasons, Karin leveled a glare at Issei.

"You!" Karin stated outax. "You're not even a Hero so why are you here!? This isn't your battle to begin with so stop causing problems to the Taisha!"

The boy blinked. Soon he tilted his head, processing the information he had just gained before he uttered a simple 'oh' at the fifth Hero.

"Even if you say that, the Jukai allowed me entrance," Issei said. "Plus, as if I'm going to sit around when my friends are all fighting to protect the world."

"Are you stupid!? Heroes are selected to protect the peaceful days and lives of civilians like you! If you die, then there's no meaning at all in our fight!"

...Whoa. Now this, he didn't expect. Probably, everyone in the room was also stunned speechless by Karin's passionate words and though her wording made it sound like an insult, Issei detected genuine concern. To think that the girl prioritized the lives of others, including _Issei's_ as a worthy cause to fight for...

"...Say, Elite-kun," Fuu interrupted, calling out to the hot-headed girl. "Did Taisha inform you about us, including this junior of mine?"

 _Huh_ , Karin replied, blinking at the unexpectedly solemn tone Fuu carried off her question with. Issei too stared at his senior with cocked eyebrow and yet Fuu's attention was placed only on the transfer student.

After a little while, Karin grunted and crossed her arms.

"That's right. Taisha is always watching over you guys so it's not out of their capability to know about him too."

While Issei winced at the callous regard meant for him, Fuu ignored it all and instead nodding slowly with two fingers pressed on her chin.

"Hmm... And what does Taisha think?" She asked. "Is there something bothering Taisha when it comes about our friend Issei?"

Karin knitted her eyebrows together. After she snorted and moved her flat stare on Issei and Fuu, she closed her eyes.

"His presence in the battlefield is a hazard to everyone's safety." Karin snorted. "Unless there is no change, then the chances of him getting killed will climb higher and higher."

Nobody knew who took a sharp breath in at the assessment thrown in by the girl. Following after was a suffocating silence but it was soon broken by a chirping noise that sounded like a ringtone more than the organic voice of a bird, and it turned out that Karin was the one who pulled out her phone and muttered something with slightly rounded eyes.

"…Is something wrong…?" Noticing the change of expression, Itsuki asked.

"Something like that," Karin replied. "Although I still have a lot to explain, there's not much time for me to play around here."

"Eh…? So you're not coming here again…?"

"Of course I'm coming here again. It's my job to supervise you all."

With refined swiftness, the girl took her bag and left the club room. It was a bit unexpected as she gave parting words with a slight bow of head, but now that she was gone…

"Well… Guess that happened, huh." Fuu faced the door before she turned to meet Issei's gaze. "So what will you do now, Issei?"

"Eh? About what?"

His response for some reason drew everyone's gaze to be set on him. Issei looked around his friends yet he had no clue why would the girls stare at him as if he had grown a second head.

"…Errm… Are you okay, Hyoudou-senpai?" Itsuki questioned. "I mean… About what Karin-san just said…"

"Does it not bother you at all?" Tougou tilted her head.

…Oh. So that was their concerns. Issei closed his eyes and pursed his lips into a thin line, his brain churning to create the appropriate response but soon he sighed and relaxed his shoulders.

"Eh, it's the truth. I'm still weak and useless the way I am right now." The boy shrugged. "But that's exactly why I trained, and I'm already making a progress. I'll just prove Taisha and the transfer student wrong when the next battle arrives."

"Hooh… Aren't you confident, now?" Fuu grinned.

Issei snorted and stuck out his tongue. "I blame you girls for giving me a reason to be confident."

"My, now you're being cheeky…" Fuu chuckled but suddenly she dashed, strangled him and grinded her fist against his temple. "Time to knock down that arrogance by a notch!"

" _Owowoooww!?_ " Issei whined. "Give! I give! Senpai, it hur – _gwuuooaaaaaaahhhhh!?_ "

There were a couple of laughter filling the air. There was a timid plea for the madness to stop. Then somehow one other raised a sigh and wondered aloud.

"Mmm… Even so, I wonder how can we get along with Karin-chan?"

For that simple but to-the-point question, everyone exchanged gazes. Expectedly, there was no definite answer to Yuuna's question.

* * *

Despite all that had happened yesterday, Issei thought there were still a lot of things he must do. After all, he had his training and he also needed to keep up with his study. He wasn't a genius but he wasn't stupid either; living a balanced life was a key to long-lasting happiness...

"Or so mom said," The boy mumbled, staring and then blinking in disbelief. "What the heck..."

Issei wasn't sure if this was a prank set by the Shinju. He had woken up early and did his daily marathon around the town but when he reached the beach, for some reasons...

"Why is she here?"

For some reasons, Miyoshi Karin was also there.

The brunette at the sandy beach was wearing tracksuit and with wooden swords in her hands, Karin took up a stance before performing a set of movements. A step to the left, a swing of sword from the right side, a change of hold and position in wielding the wooden sword... As she fought illusory targets with utmost seriousness, Issei was rendered speechless because he recalled that before the Capricornus Vertex appeared, he had seen those movements before.

Or rather, he was no longer unfamiliar and was instead feeling the other way around. The similarities of movements were uncanny, the hair color matched to a frightening degree and the tone of voice was absurdly identical.

"So that kendo practitioner was her all along?!"

What the hell? What kind of coincidence was at work here? Did Sonoko have a hand on this turn of events...!? _No, wait, she's a retired Hero so it's definitely not her... Or maybe not._

Issei already could feel her smiling even from a hundred miles away. That girl had a way with words so planning dirty schemes was definitely in her style. Did that mean his father cooperated with her? It would make sense so much that it wasn't funny.

[Heh. That parent of yours played us like a fiddle.] Ddraig echoed his thought. [Not bad for being a human who knows only little cantrips.]

"Well, I knew I should have expected that..." Issei grumbled with a hand on his forehead.

Whether it was due to some divine intervention or not, the fact remained unchanged. Issei had somehow discovered a part of his classmate's privacy and now he was feeling incredibly dirty. He wasn't trying – _oh crap she's looking this way!_

"Huh...?" The girl muttered with a blank face. "Wait, you are..."

Bad. Karin was starting to recognize him. Issei wished he had a weak presence but he knew that it was impossible to mistake him as nobody else. He was wearing the school's tracksuit and he and Karin had just met yesterday. The memories were still too fresh to forget!

[Rather than staring at each other like idiots, why can't you just run away from the spot?]

 _That's totally uncool and don't you remember what happened the last time I ran!?_

[Then why don't you just give her a greeting?]

 _Great idea!_ Issei thanked Ddraig before he proceeded on coughing into his fist and straightening his back. Putting up a wide smile, he then raised a hand and greeted Karin with a "Yo! Fancy meeting you here!" which was replied with...

"Mgh...!?" The transfer student reeled back, her facing growing increasingly red like a boiling kettle. "W-Wha... What!? Why are you here?!"

...Eh? What kind of reaction was that? Issei had no clue of why would Karin react so strongly like this, but she just asked him a question, right? There was no object thrown at him and he wasn't kicked in the butt due to a surprise attack so that meant he was safe from danger, right?

"Uh, well..." Issei scratched his head. "I always passed by this area for morning exercise. That should be my line since you popped out here whenever I ran through this route lately, Karin-chan..."

While Issei had no answer as to why the girl shouted "Who's Karin-chan!?" like a blaring alarm, Karin was strangely getting more and more panicked that she pointed her wooden sword to his general direction. The adrenaline must have been running high in her system, since it was clear her body was trembling all-over. Even the sword wasn't even held firmly.

"Uh, Karin-chan...? You okay?" Issei asked.

"Of course not!" The girl yelled. "Or rather, what's up with you!? Why are you watching!? Why didn't you ignore me!?"

Good question. Now, why was Issei watching her? Excuses could be made up but early in the morning like this, his head wasn't working on a level that would help putting up lies. Also, he liked being true to himself so... Humming a little, the boy crossed his arms and then nodded.

"I got entranced by your performance."

The next moment revealed to Issei how badly people would react when faced with sheer embarrassment. Karin squeaked, took a shaky retreat and her boiling red face displayed an incorrigible expression.

Then she spun for one eighty and fled with a scream.

"...Say, Ddraig."

[Hmm?]

The piles of sand and dirt floated down before dissipating away. The figure of the transfer student become a dot that took a sharp turn, and vanished into the residential districts like a gust of wind.

After a minute had passed, Issei scratched his head.

"Girls are difficult to understand."

Ddraig snorted. [That's _a child_ you're talking about, partner. Know the horror once you get tangled up with a genuine _woman_ who's madly in love or simply way too drunk in petty vengeance.]

 _Urgh... I'm so_ not _looking forward to my future now._

* * *

Later at school, Issei barely reached class on time again. He was immediately confronted by Tougou who reprimanded him with a stern expression and comforted with a pat on the back by Yuuna. While those familiar to him knew that the boy tried to improve himself in various aspects, this particular morning passed by rather roughly because of...

"...Ise-senpai, why is Karin-chan staring at us like that?" Yuuna asked.

"Her duty is to supervise us but I think this is bordering on excessive..." Tougou nodded, sharing the sentiment with Issei.

However, that was a _really_ hard question to answer. Now, what should he do? The glare was directed at him and it was probably a warning that if he were to let anything about the incident that morning slip, then he would be deader than dead. Yes, he was sure of it.

"That..." The glare digging into the boy's back intensified. "...Must be your imagination. And I'm sure she means no ill will, Tougou-san."

 _Is that how it is_ , his black-haired friend wondered, tilting her head. A few of the black strands brushed her forehead, and the girl's lips pursed a little. Even so, she chose to stop pursuing the topic so Issei internally breathed a sigh in relief before considering the next course of action; finding a way to stop this situation from prolonging itself!

 _B-But the more important question is… can I even survive until the end...?_

A sigh entered his mind. [Even if you were to fight here, there's a moderate chance for a draw to happen. Then again, the battle will no doubt ravage the surrounding area before that could happen so what will you do, partner?]

 _So there's no other choice besides duking it out!? What kind of solution is that…!?_

[The simplest, tried-and-true solution for all conflicts throughout history; violence.]

 _Don't just say horrible thing with the air of a wizened sage, goddammit…!_

"Ah, she's approaching us," so said Yuuna and Issei instantly turned around, meeting face-to-face with the transfer student.

There was silence.

Then there was a sound of a pin drop. Karin closed her eyes, inhaled, and expelled air out from her lungs. It was as if she was restraining herself from lashing out but Issei remembered that they were still in the classroom.

It hadn't even been a week ever since Karin transferred in. Because of that, she had become the main topic of discussion among the entire second-year students. Of course, not much could be said about her but her high scores and polite attitude created a foundation for her popularity. Issei swore some of his classmates talked about crushes and stomping faces but he wondered about their credibility; especially for the latter part which sounded suspiciously like a request exclusive for guys with certain fetishes.

Now that he thought about it, Issei hadn't heard anything about him despite the 'pervert' label still sticking on him. The girls were still glaring daggers at him with immense prejudice but the atmosphere had gotten friendlier the more he interacted with the members of Hero Club.

...Well, whatever. Even if his presence had become bearable, there was no doubt dating someone like him would be the last thing in their minds. Sure there were cute girls around but honestly, Issei doubted they would want to associate themselves with him like his friends did. Plus, wasn't there something more important than dating?

Indeed, he had no time to have fun or act so irresponsibly. The Happy Ending he desired could only exist after protecting the world was done—

"Oy, you! Hyoudou Issei!"

The boy blinked. In front of him, Karin produced a long-suffering sigh and directed a glare which he took at full brunt. As Issei felt drops of sweat forming on his forehead and neck, the transfer student shifted her glare to the door and pointed with her thumb at it.

" _Out_ ," she said. "And _don't_ you dare run away."

Silence.

"Errm..." Issei frowned. "Wasn't it you who ran—"

The brunette squeaked, yanked Issei's arm and then the two were outside the classroom, leaving behind only specks of dust at the doorway.

Yuuna blinked several times, her jaw hanging open. "...Uuuh... What was that, just now?"

"Mm... Did something happen between those two...?" Tougou placed a hand on her cheek. "I hope it's nothing serious. Recess will end within ten minutes."

* * *

"Errm... Karin-chan – "Who are you calling "Karin-chan" huh!?" – Y-Yeah, well... You said that it doesn't matter how we call you, so why not?"

 _Aah, this is getting better and better_ , Issei thought with a load of sarcasm and worry. Now that he and Karin were away from their classroom, it was time to face the music... Well, not that there was much to confront besides a person's secret getting discovered by a total stranger.

"Gh...! What's with that reaction!? Of all people around...!"

"...Your thoughts are leaking out, you know?" Issei interrupted, raising a hand while at it.

Karin gasped and stepped backwards. She probably didn't expect him to argue back but they were in the corridor, the walls had eyes and ears, here.

"A-Are you messing with me...?!"

The boy blinked at her sudden question. Karin growled, stomped the floor, and her face began to flush red.

"That was...!" Karin exclaimed. "Don't you dare spreading talk about—"

"Your morning exercise? Sure. Why not?"

...What? Now, why was there no reaction?

Although Issei was still bad at interacting with girls around his age, he at least knew what to say when someone wanted their secret to be hidden. Heck, he could understand since he was hiding gravure magazines and the fetishistic H-games he played once every month in his room.

Sidetracking a little bit off his current problem, he noticed that the local variety in Shikoku's game shops held a thing with more traditional genres set in fantasy ancient Japan. Indeed, most of them also would at least include a badass shrine maiden heroine route. _Wonder if the Taisha has something to do with it..._

"What... H-Huh, are you serious...?"

 _Hmm?_ Issei's consciousness retreated back to reality, and he exchanged gazes with Karin. The brunette was... Now that the two were within an arm's length, he realized that Karin was quite short; probably only four feet and eleven.

In comparison, Issei was almost as tall as Fuu who stood at five feet and four inches. Not that he would say something about the height difference. That senior of his could still pull him down and claw him by the head whenever he did a super stupid mistake. _Ugh, now I'm remembering those painful times again..._

Refocusing himself to the matters at hand, Issei rubbed the skin between his lips and nose. "Yeah, well. It's not my hobby doing something like revealing someone's secret in the open. Okay, don't look at me as if saying 'You suck at lying and I'm disgusted now' like that. My wounded heart is still not tough enough to recover from second rejection."

Karin leaked a confused sound. Still, she knitted her eyebrows together and crossed her arms.

"H-Hmph! Who do you think I am!?" She stated out. "A-Anyway, don't tell this to anyone! Especially those people!"

Issei rolled his eyes. _Sheesh, tsundere's cute only at first glance, huh._

"If that's what you want, _your Majesty_." Karin glowered, seemingly infuriated. "For your information, a lot of people pass by that area every day. Who's to say someone else at school won't rat you out?"

 _Mgah_ , the girl took a step back.

"Also, while training by yourself is good and all, having no opponent to test your skills out on kind of renders the whole point moot, right?"

 _Agh_ , Karin bent down as if a knife had pierced her gut.

"Oh, and my instructors all warned that you can't do heavy exercises for more than once a day or else your growth will be stunted."

Karin toppled down like a crumbling sandcastle.

"Ugh…! Shut up, shut up…! Shut up already! Just what are you, anyway…?!" Karin shouted.

Oh, that was a good question. Rubbing his chin while closing his eyes, Issei hummed then snapped his fingers.

"Well," he replied. "I guess I'm a dragon."

With that, Karin became a sputtering mess. It was clear that she had no idea how to respond to Issei's flimsy answer but _what else_ could he say? He might as well get used to his new identity, because there was no taking back what he had given up. _Come to think of it, this contract won't drag me down to the depths of hell, won't it?_

[That depends,] Ddraig answered. [If you view a life of endless battles and danger as "hell", then maybe.]

Ugh… _Another_ ill omen? Issei _really_ disliked that side of his partner. Sure he could be relied on but sometimes he wished Ddraig wouldn't drop ominous stuff like that. Fighting to survive was already hard enough. A life of endless battles? That was _hell_ , alright.

[Is that what you think of me now?] Ddraig grunted. [How about I give you a piece of advice, then?]

 _Huh?_

[This one seems to have some personal issues with how she is seen by others,] Ddraig said. [If she does not wish to be interrupted by anyone, why don't you just pull her along and make her your sparring partner?]

"What..." Issei widened his eyes. "Wait, could it be..."

[The way you are now, the girl should be a good opponent, not to mention it will also help that redhead you care for so much. Also, it's far better than getting sent flying by that pesky brat and that exploding bastard all the time, no?]


	27. Chapter 24 - Moral Poise III

A wise person always said life was full of surprise. Whether it was true or not, there were too many people to ask for verification. If it was up to Issei, though... Well, would having recruited a new club member be a surprise, especially if said new member was a girl he barely knew?

"Here is another request," Tougou said, waving a piece of paper in front of her with a smile. "The cafeteria is starting to run out of supplies, while some of its staff just called in sick. There's nobody to assist the cafeteria lady now, so she asked for help in moving some of the new supply crates—"

" _Yes yes!_ Yuuki Yuuna, reporting for duty!" The redhead thrust her arm to the ceiling. "This is clearly the job for a hero!"

"H-Hero...!?" Close by, the transfer student gasped and glared at the redhead. "Stop right there, Yuuki Yuuna! If it's like that, then I alone is more than enough—"

"Ooh! Karin-chan, you want to help? Then let's get going!"

It only took less than a second for Karin's hand to be held, and another for Yuuna to run out of the Domestic Science Preparation room with her in tow.

There was a brief period of silence.

Then the _pitter-patter_ sound returned and the ponytailed girl with a flower petal hairpin and a white ribbon popped her head back into view.

"Oh, yeah! Ise-senpai, want to come with us too?" Yuuna asked.

Inside the club room, Issei blinked as he held a cup of tea served by Itsuki. He hummed and then shook his head.

"Nah," he replied. "I'm good. You two just have fun out there."

After Yuuna pouted and cheered herself up with her trademark smile, she let loose a long "Alrighty...!" while dashing off again.

Looking up to the ceiling for a brief moment, Issei stared long at it and then hung his head down. He expelled a sigh. The answer to the question he just asked himself was obvious.

"Heh he... Looks like someone here is being moody." A voice entered his ears from the left. "Even though you just accomplished a mission with flying colors, you don't look like you're having fun, Issei."

Turning his gaze to the source of the voice, his blonde upperclassman turned out to be using the windowsill as a chair replacement. She was also only half an arm's length away from him so he could observe those creamy thighs of hers even if he didn't want to but if he lost to the temptation, that would mean risking both his life and _all_ of his stock lives...

"My dear junior," Fuu called out. "If you try to take a peek, I'm going to give you sayonara home run, ya know?"

 _Oh crap, she noticed!?_

"Duh. Of course I noticed." The club leader somehow _answered_ his unspoken question. "Your expression can be kind of... Well, you know what they say? Criminal or something."

The hell did that even mean? Issei had no idea if she was being insulting, sarcastic or just saying whatever thing crossed her mind!

"Well, you did better than I expected, considering the new student's sudden motivation to join in club activity." The elder Inubouzaki sibling tilted her head. "Then again, it's been only a day. Are you so eager to grant Yuuna's wish? Is this your spring of youth blooming?"

The boy almost choked. _What... The... Fu...!?_

"Jokes aside..." Issei glared hatefully at Fuu now. "What, don't give me that sour look. It's your fault for being so gullible. On that prospect, you and Karin seemed to be a match made in heaven, you know?"

 _You don't say._ "Senpai, can you please, _please_ stop teasing me for once…?"

Seriously, playing around with bonds and emotions wasn't funny. Issei valued friendship and he wouldn't lie that love and trust was essential for a happy marriage. However, forcing two people to go out together was totally against his creed. _I mean... Just look where I got myself at for being utterly hasty and impulsive._

Issei sighed. Despite having no problems with getting turned down by a girl he crushed on, the memories were like fungi, sticking on the back of his head. Just remembering it made him depressed, not to mention it was _hell of an embarrassment_ for Issei. Did that mean he wasn't going to live it down until he graduated?

 _That'd be scary..._

"Well, if that's what my cute junior wants, then I guess it can't be helped." Fuu raised a hand. "It really can't be helped, indeed! Since this Fuu is a magnanimous idol—"

"Onee-chan, I don't think you are supposed to act so smug like that in this situation."

"I have to agree with Itsuki-chan. Please take this more seriously, Fuu-senpai."

Inevitably, both her little sister and underclassman reprimanded Fuu. While she writhed in agony for being harshly denied of her own antics, Issei secretly pumped a fist and quietly swore that he would treat Itsuki and Tougou whatever they want at the end of the month.

"G-Grrh… Curse you, Issei…!" Still Fuu tried her best to leave a defeated monologue. "How dare you to seduce both my secretary and little sister…! You… _You traitorous fool…!_ "

Issei stuck his tongue out as Fuu was quickly showered by another scolding. _Serves you right!_

* * *

Club activity that day ended with a cheerful atmosphere just like always, except for one person. As the windows and door were locked up, the entirety of Hero Club were about to leave but Karin rushed off like the wind after sending a cold glare to Issei. What's more, the invitation to go to Kameya was rejected by her so it ended up with the usual number of people…

"Huh? You want to go after her and check what she's up to?" Fuu tilted her head as she walked in-between Issei who was dead last and the group who chitchatted in front of them. "I didn't expect you to be _this_ active, Issei."

"Uh… Yeah, well, it's more like I kind of… got carried away." Issei rubbed the nape of his neck. "Because of that, I can't join with you girls for the udon. Sorry there."

Fuu furrowed her eyebrows yet she sighed and turned her gaze ahead. It didn't seem like she was angry, but—

"Make sure you don't overwork yourself," she said. "It'd be a big problem if the muscle of our club called in sick when there are a lot of requests to be finished."

 _Ouch…! So I'm already designated as the brawn…!?_

"I'm a bit miffed that you didn't talk to your club leader beforehand but there must be a reason why you're doing this, right?" Fuu gave a glance. "Besides… acting selfish like that is your privilege. I already kept a secret from all of you, after all."

"Senpai…" Issei looked up to her… then flattened his gaze. "…Trying to act cool won't help you hide your desire to look good in front of your underclassman, you know?"

Fuu stilled, grunted, and grumbled. Unfortunately, it was in low volume so Issei couldn't catch on what she was complaining about. It was probably not something serious, anyway.

It didn't stop Issei from letting out a small chuckle. Considering the time and situation, though, it drew the attention of the other girls and so the remaining three members of the Hero Club turned their heads behind.

"Eh? Is there something funny, Ise-senpai?" Yuuna asked.

Issei stared at his friends for a bit. The shadow cast by the sunset surrounded various corners of the hallway. Even so, orange light streamed in through the windows, giving enough light to see the four girls he considered as his friends. For a while he didn't say anything, merely smiling, then he shook his head and waved a hand.

"Nah," the boy said. "I'm just wondering what tomorrow will bring if I'm having so much fun like this."

He wasn't lying. Issei was absolutely certain that he was glad he joined the Hero Club. Every day was hectic but clearing requests was exciting. He wondered what kind of request everyone would get once the day passed over, and he wondered if Karin would be there again to complain about them acting un-hero-like yet putting her best effort so that she wouldn't lose to either Issei or Yuuna.

Sure, protecting the world while living the life of a student was hard, but did that even matter?

He had time. He was alive. He could still see and hold things he treasured with his hands. Didn't that mean he could do both? Why couldn't he just enjoy life while fighting for everyone's livelihood?

"…Hm. Then it's decided."

Issei looked beyond the windows and down at the school grounds. From afar, he could see a figure of a twintailed girl taking out her bicycle from the parking lot. She dumped her schoolbag on the basket attached to it and she immediately cycled off to the street outside the school. Considering how quick she was, she probably intended to just grab her training gear and go straight to the beach.

…Still, something was missing. Even though Issei did the same, Karin had problems with enjoying life like a normal person. She said that only she alone was needed to defeat the Vertexes. She also demanded the girls chosen by Shinju to act responsibly and befitting their stations as they ought to be.

Even so… that sounded way too stiff for 14-year old girl. Or rather, there was no need for a girl of her age to fully commit herself in living as a defender of mankind, right? Issei was allowed to both fool around and prepare himself for the inevitable battle. He still allowed himself to laze around and throw himself into rigorous training.

In that case…

"Why can't she do the same?"

As Issei directed his question to someone wasn't in the range to listen to it, the brown-haired girl vanished into the streets surrounded by rows of houses that blocked his sight.

* * *

Although night was about to fall in an hour and half, Ariake Beach still had someone occupying it. This person had been constantly training her swordsmanship and she practiced so devotedly that her sweatshirt was drenched.

Then someone entered the beach and when the girl looked over her shoulder, she snorted derisively before pointing her wooden sword at the newcomer.

"Late! How long are you going to make me wait when it was you who made the plan up!?"

Only thirty minutes had passed ever since Issei left school. He was still wearing the black polyester uniform over his red t-shirt but as always, he left the buttons opened. As the winds passed by him, Issei rubbed his head and bowed slightly.

"Sorry, there, Karin-chan." Issei smiled even when the brunette glaring daggers at him. "Got to run a small errand first. It was kind of important, so..."

While the girl tightened her lips in clear distaste, she didn't protest any more. She was already wearing a sleeveless sweatshirt and training pants, and there were two wooden swords not far behind her.

 _She sure is prepared_ , Issei thought. Issei had just gotten permission from both of his parents, his instructor and his lazy friend to conduct an extra sparring session with Karin. At first, he thought the Taisha wouldn't accept him lending a hand but it had approved his desire almost without hesitation at all. _Seriously, the organization puts a lot of investment in the Heroes, now that I think about it…_

"At any rate, let's begin." Issei took off his _gakuran_ and replaced his shoes with running shoes.

"...You... Are you serious?" Karin asked incredulously. "You don't even look like you want to."

Issei winced but that was pretty tame. Not as bad as girls telling him to drop dead because he peeped on them during the swimming class, but it still kind of hurt. Last time he did that, he was beaten up until Yuuna arrived on the scene to straighten things out.

Somehow, Issei started to think he had done really stupid stuff now. It wouldn't be a lie to admit that his deeds were extremely radical back before he came to know the existence of Hero Club, but he couldn't deny himself for being honest to his feelings... His body just moved on its own when his eyes saw beautiful boobs.  
 _  
Ah, whatever. Reminiscing can be for later. Preferably tonight._

[...Your thought patterns are as crazy as ever...] Ddraig popped up in the back of Issei's mind. [I don't think I've ever dealt with a human brat as odd as you, partner.]

 _You say that as if there are hosts much younger than me..._

[Are you kidding? I told you that I've seen my fair share of dealing with humans.] Ddraig snorted. [Be it women or men, children or adults... I've been partnered with a lot of humans for long time.]

 _...Huh, that's... surprising. How do you do that?_

[When a Sacred Gear user dies, the Sacred Gear will move to the next host… Regardless of the cause of death being due to old age, illness, or unnatural causes.]

 _...Unnatural causes...? Why do I have the feeling the other hosts caught the last one more often than not...?_

[Because most of them did get themselves killed off,] the red dragon exasperated. [You can even count with a hand how many hosts managed to reach the end of their lifespans peacefully. All because of...]

"Okay, please stop right there." Issei cut off Ddraig's sentence with a huff. "Just... _Stop_. I think I get it. Dragon aura and stuff like that, endless battles yada yada."

The boy pressed two fingers on his temple. He would have groaned and complained about a nonhuman being having no delicacy but he wasn't going to do that right now. He could save that thought for later.

 _Yes_ , it didn't matter. Maybe it mattered a little or maybe it should be a big deal but Issei wanted none of the depressing tales about how and why his predecessors died. He didn't want to die, not even on the slightest. That was why he refused to give up before trying, and it didn't matter what anyone said.

Fuck with the laws of nature. If it was his fate to die as a virgin old crone, then Issei would turn heaven upside-down and live while being surrounded by a harem of beautiful girls! To be a Harem King was his life dream so there was no way divine punishment or even death could stop him from realizing that dream!

[...Uh-huh. That sounds grand but do you still remember what you are here for?]

 _Ah, oops. Sorry there, sidetracking much._

"Well, then…!" Issei cracked his shoulders and neck before taking up a stance. "No need to worry about me. Come at me, Karin-chan!"

"Who's worried about you!?" Karin retorted, gripping and adjusting her wooden swords. "Don't run home crying!"

 _Who do you think I am?!_ While he didn't utter that line out loud, his expression must have gave it all out since the brunette curved down her lips and wiped the smile off her face, putting all of her emotions aside in one beat.

The boy and the girl faced each other – then they ran straight toward each other.

The first to strike was Karin. With her weapon of choice, she easily reached Issei with a horizontal swing of sword. Issei responded by pulling his entire upper body back and the attack missed by a few inches.

Even so, there were follow-ups in the form of several light slashes using the second sword.

"Oh!" The boy exclaimed with no hurry, even as he avoided the chaining slashes. "You're pretty good!"

"That's... My... Line!" Karin approached with her wooden swords flashing.

For all that infuriated sentence, she wasn't actually reeled up. Issei noticed her even breathing, and he noticed that each and every attack was conducted without going overboard.

The girl was fairly experienced. As he stomped over the sandy ground, Issei exchanged blows with Karin without holding back.

The boy threw his fists forward. At the same time, the girl avoided his attacks and countered but Issei was faster. He sidestepped to the left and right, his body matching the swordswoman's rhythm.

As a part-dragon, Issei had acquired a lot of abilities. Even more, his physical strength always increased even without doing anything and his instincts grew sharper the more he fought. Heracles had said that he was around five to six times stronger than average human without Boosted Gear now and Ddraig said that the longer he lived a life full of conflicts, the more 'dragon-like' he'd become.

 _Honestly, I'm veering farther and farther away from humanity_ , Issei lamented as he danced amidst the storms of slashes intent on knocking his soul out of his body. He had no doubt Karin wouldn't accept defeat and she probably wouldn't allow him to go on easy on her either. From the looks of it, the girl expected highly of others and herself, raising a strict standard and hoping for only the best outcome.

And so, while such thought dwelled inside of him, the match progressed to the next level.

Karin upped her ante. Her swords whipped in succession, aiming for attacks that could only be parried at the nick of time. It was outrageous since her breathing only roughened a bit and her focus did not dwindle at all.

If the earlier exchanges were the appetizer, then this was the main dish. Issei also decided to focus even more, so when Karin's guard showed an opening, he took the initiative and shot out a punch.

A solid sound not unlike something hitting a wooden board rang out. Wind blew across the beach as Issei narrowed his eyes. _Blocked, huh…_

"Khng…!" Karin grunted, gritted her teeth then stomped forward. " _Daaaaaaaahhhh!_ "

 _Whoa!?_ Unbelievably, the girl pushed Issei back with brute force alone. Although it wasn't like he couldn't overpower her, but the slight surprise he had caused him to lose his footing.

Before he hit the ground, Issei broke his fall by performing an _ukemi_ and retreated to a safe distance. Tension filled the air as the two combatants eyed each other.

"…Well…"

There was a long silence. The lingering hostile intent gradually vanished when nobody tried to resume the fight, and Issei didn't like the uncomfortable atmosphere so he lowered his fists first while Karin followed after him.

 _…Uh… What now?_

[Do you even need to ask?]

 _Err… right. Sorry there._

"…You know," Issei started. "If you're considering my situation, then you can go all out. I'm not going to be hurt even if you hit me with those swords."

"...Is that meant to be provocation?" Karin asked.

Issei waved. "It's the truth. I'm way tougher than most people. Even if you use a real sword, the most you can inflict is only flesh wounds on me."

He wasn't kidding about that. He remained in one piece despite receiving a punch so powerful he got sent off to the sky. While he had no clue about what that meant but apparently, sending people flying with a straight punch equated to immense brute force.

The boy unwittingly shuddered. Did that mean Heracles could easily kill people with just a light squeeze of hand? Had Issei been an ordinary person, he would have outright died when he was blasted to the sea, right?

[Partner, focus on the matters at hand, will you?]

Ddraig's comment brought Issei back to reality. He looked ahead, finding Karin with creased eyebrows and pursed lips. She looked like she was in deep thought until she breathed out.

"I see. So it's true that you're not a human."

...Huh? Now that was sudden.

"Uh, yeah... Are you surprised?"

Karin shook her head. "Not really. We Heroes are blessed with Shinju-sama's divinity to fight monsters that were born from apocalyptic Virus. It's not too far-fetched even if you called yourself a hopeless pervert who contracted a demon god in exchange for abominable power."

...Issei seriously wondered why would he contract a demon god and why would Karin think he would do that. Was she joking or was he that much of an abomination in her eyes? Wait, was that just her way of insulting people she hated? She did call Yuuna and the others by their full names...

"Still," Karin added with a tone loud and clear enough to pull Issei's attention back to her. "It's reassuring to know that _at least_ one of you lot are doing something like a Hero should."

"…You mean me?" Issei pointed at himself.

Karin nodded. "Who else am I talking about? You're not even a member of Taisha, but you participated in battles despite having no obligation. Isn't that already heroic enough?"

That… might have been true but the boy wondered if he could be labeled as a hero just like that. It wasn't like he was against it but if Issei was being perfectly honest with himself, the duty of being a hero was way too heavy for someone like him. He was immature and a grand pervert; not only that, he felt as if he did too little to help in the previous battles.

 _And yet I got acknowledged by someone as a hero … This is so weird…_

"What's that face? You don't like it?"

"Well… Somewhat. If it's about acting like a hero, then Yuuna-chan would be the one who should hear that."

Perhaps saying something like that was the wrong move. Karin's eyebrows furrowed deeper and she snorted derisively.

"Hyoudou Issei," she called out. "Are you stupid? Heroes need… no, they _must_ be impressive to protect the world. Do you realize how many lives are at stake in this war? If we lose, then the world will die and many people will lose their lives. You of all people should know how terrifying the Vertexes are, right?"

Issei flinched as the figure of the Virgo Vertex came to his mind. His right hand subconsciously went up over his chest where his heart resided in and his lips formed a thin line.

"It's exactly because of the threat they represent that we have to take our duty seriously. But…" The brunette growled. "What's with everyone being so laidback? Why are you all having fun as if there's nothing to worry about? Even though your group has already fought four of them, yet why are you…!"

Right after Karin raised her voice, she stiffened a little. Her mouth hung open before she closed it and she looked away as if to hide her face from view.

"Whatever. I'm going back early. Next time will be a proper match."

….Huh? What did she just say? Issei wasn't sure if he had heard it right but Karin stored away her wooden swords, gathered her belongings and ran off almost immediately. There wasn't enough time for Issei to catch up with her before she went off on her bicycle again.

With that, Issei was left alone in the beach. The cold breeze greeted him, and the dark sky above began to reveal bright stars little-by-little.

[Hum… So that's it, huh.]

 _…What…?_ "Ddraig, do you know something…? What happened to Karin-chan?"

[It's nothing life-threatening. I've seen it for far too many times before, but who knows if I'm wrong.]

 _What's with that…_ Issei grunted in frustration and ran his hand over his head.

[Setting that problematic kid aside… You sure you're okay, partner?]

 _Uh…?_ Issei wasn't sure of what he meant, now. Was there even a need to be cryptic al – _oh._

"Well…" Issei inhaled. "Honestly, I don't get why she ranted like that. And yeah, she just seemed so aggressive I wanted to yell back at her, but… are you saying there's a reason why she can't get along with us in those complaints?"

There was an image of the dragon smiling amusedly in his mind now. Issei couldn't tell exactly since he was no dragon expert and it wasn't like he could identify Ddraig's expression just by looking at the rows of sharper-than-razor fangs and scaly head. Still, he had a hunch the big lizard was wearing that kind of expression because he often did a nasal laughter afterwards.

[Something like that. You've got the basics down but you still have a lot of things to learn if you can only deduce vaguely like that.]

 _Wow. Is this a relationship lecture? Am I getting lectured about human relationships by an ancient dragon older than the entire length of the Old Era? Seriously?_

[Oh, shut up. If you don't want to be a proper Harem King than I won't do this anymore.]

"I'msorryDdraig-senseipleasegivethislowlypupilyourdivineguidance!"

Had anyone been nearby, they would have been weirded out since Issei prostrated himself right next to the sea.

Even so, the boy didn't care. He was being taught lessons to get closer to his dream. _Like hell am I going to waste the opportunity, dammit!_


	28. Chapter 25 - Moral Poise IV

Morning.

A new day. Another day passed without incidents nor accidents. A boy woke up in his room, laid back on his bed while staring blankly at the white ceiling decorated with a white LED lamp. He lazily moved his right arm to hover above his eyes, and he breathed in cold air. Issei glanced to his right.

"…Ah, I forgot to close the windows."

Indeed, the sliding windows were left open. His room had a small balcony but it faced the street. No sane thief would ignore the window of opportunity if it was opened and in this case, it was wide open.

 _…The heck am I even thinking?_

After rubbing his eyes, he sat up and stretched his arms above his head. The room was still in the same state as he saw it before going to bed, what with a wardrobe and a study desk at a corner of the room with an LCD television situated on top of a black cupboard. Visible through the cupboard's glass cabinet doors was a familiar but old game console and a bunch of video games' discs.

Once he had successfully shaken off his drowsiness, the 14 years old boy left his bed to change his clothes. First he went to the wardrobe, opened it and stripped. He switched to the school uniform set made up by a black _gakuran_ and pants. All done, he paced out from his room and headed straight to the staircase.

As he headed downstairs, Issei had a brief moment of unusual clarity and realized something. Despite being part of a group of heroes protecting the local god and the people around them, and being part Dragon... his mornings were still as normal as everyone's. _It's a good thing to have, though._

After he had gone to the toilet, washed his face and brushed his teeth, Issei attended breakfast with his parents.

"You're pretty late today, Ise." A brown-haired man commented from the seat across of the boy.

"Yeah… A lot of things happened." Issei nodded dumbly before clasped his hands and muttered his gratitude for the breakfast cooked for him. "Also, school's been hectic lately."

From the kitchen, his mother replied with a soft-but-reassuring smile. He was given permission with that and Issei began by taking the chopsticks and the bowl filled with white rice.

His father grinned. "Ah, right. Having problems in hooking up with a girl, my son?"

Issei decided to glare instead of talking back.

"Hmm… So it's a serious problem, huh." As if he had read his mind, Ichiro nodded and rubbed his black salt sprinkled chin. "Is the reinforcement causing troubles?"

"…Not… exactly," Issei said while looking away. "It's just, Karin-chan is… difficult to understand."

 _Aah,_ his father muttered. His expression was calm and he didn't sound too surprised. Issei was aware that he wasn't the type to complain about people, especially girls, yet his words didn't disturb his father at least one bit. _Unless…_

"…Uh, dad?" The son called out. "Do you know something about Karin-chan?"

"Not really. But well, I _do_ know a relative of hers and we've been partnered up in the same department at Taisha." Ichiro raised his head a little. "It's Miyoshi Karin you're talking about, right?"

"Y-yeah, that's her, alright."

His parent once again nodded. "I see. So what do you want to know?"

 _Uh, if you suddenly said that…_ Now Issei had no clue on what to do. He had to admit that he wanted some help to overcome the current adversary standing before him but his father was being extremely cooperative. He _could_ chalk it up to him being a coworker with a relative of his friend but…

Why did it feel like he had done something wrong?

Was it because he was being privy of someone's personal affairs? Wasn't this a breach of privacy? It wasn't something he should do, right…? If he wanted to know so much about Karin, then the appropriate thing to do would be to ask her directly instead of listening on secondhand information… right?

"…You look conflicted, Ise."

"Eh!? A-ah, well, about that…"

As he stumbled for words, Ichiro formed a thin smile on his face.

"You're being considerate to her situation," he stated, as if he could read Issei's mind once more. "For a good reason. It's good that you can think about others and see where the line you shouldn't cross is at."

 _But,_ the man added. The softness in his expression vanished momentarily, replaced by a strong gaze.

"While that is admirable, you can't hesitate because you are afraid of the consequence of your actions. Whatever choices you have, there will always be risks. The difference is only about how high those risks are."

With that, Ichiro scolded his son without remorse and not even giving him the time to brace for the damage. Expectedly, Issei flinched, his composure falling apart but after a short silence had passed, he expressed a weak nod.

"I… Got it, dad…" Issei murmured meekly. "…Then, can I ask—"

"I don't know anything about the girl personally. Never seen her before except in pictures and video records Harunobu always carried around with him."

Ichiro merely laughed at the betrayed expression his son had afterwards.

* * *

Time marched on and now that classes were over for today, Sanshu Middle School's students went about, minding their own businesses. The sky was still bright so it could still be called as afternoon, yet the air brought heat and humidity befitting a season that would bring an end to spring completely.

Summer had begun. There was no doubt about it.

A lot of people would complain about the end-of-term exam, the humid air that made sweat to be icky on the skin, and the alarming rise of room temperature. It was doubly so for middle schoolers who simply wanted to have fun once summer vacation arrived but had yet to face the end-of-term exam.

Although, as for the regular occupants of the Domestic Sciences Preparation room…

"You hear me? The battles will get harder and harder in the future. There's no telling what would happen but Taisha has already prepared the countermeasure for any scenario," said Karin in front of the blackboard. "In other words, a trump card among trump cards. It's even more powerful than fairy's blessing so listen up if you don't want to die."

The four founding members of the Hero Club nodded their heads and stared intently at her. Normally, this sort of serious meeting would be finished or be interrupted in a matter of minutes but the topic Karin raised that day easily drew everyone's attention.

Then again, everyone was eating _botamochi_ made by Tougou. Be it Yuuna, Fuu, or Itsuki, the girls watched the presentation while consuming snacks and tea _._

"Mmm…! Tougou-san's botamochi is so delicious!"

While Issei decided to give no comment about the relatively carefree mood brought by Yuuna, the brunette in front of them gave a look before she tiredly turned around. After grabbing a chalk, she drew a flower emblem on the blackboard. In comparison to Fuu's drawing, it was a hundred times better though nobody had a reason to raise that point up.

Once the drawing was finished, Karin turned around with a flourish... and fished out a dried sardine.

 _Really,_ Issei thought, his eyebrow twitching at the sight. _What kind of middle schooler eats dried sardines as snacks?_

"As Heroes fight, they will accumulate experiences," Karin said, alternating from talking and chewing her snack. "The Hero System constantly monitors them. Once the battle experiences reach a certain level, you can level up and become stronger. There are various processes but putting it simply, you will be able to gain access to Shinju-sama's reservoir of divine power to strengthen yourself. This power-up is called _Mankai_."

"Heeh… Is that how it is?" Yuuna tilted her head after chewing and swallowing the sticky yet crunchy sweet.

"It is written in the application, Yuuna-chan." Tougou informed.

"I see…!"

 _Mgh,_ Karin tried to suppress a groan but failed at it. Her shoulders sagged a little bit yet she reformed her posture and continued on.

"A-ny-way!" She exclaimed. "By repeatedly "blooming", a Hero can become stronger. Any question about Taisha's Hero System… especially for the slacker in the back?"

Karin glared at a boy who was resting his hand on his cheek by the windowsill.

"Hmm…" Issei bobbed his head as he stared outside. "Hmm? _Oh_? Eh…? Errm… What is it?"

 _Yep, he wasn't listening at all._ It was clear that Issei missed out all of Karin's lecture, and everyone but the two of them could have only sighed in resignation at that.

The transfer student was a different case altogether, as her eyebrows twitched and a vein popped on her temple.

"Y-you…! You're no different at all!" The girl stomped the floor as she pointed at the dazed boy.

"Eh!? Ah, s-sorry! But it's not like it will help me, right…?" Issei rubbed his neck. "I mean… I fight using a relic of the Old Era so there's no point in me listening to the lecture, right…? Sacred Gears don't work like the Hero System and mine doesn't even use divinity to begin with…"

"Shut up…! At least pay a little interest about it or just lie through your teeth! Why are you being so blunt about everything, anyway!?"

 _Even if you say that…,_ Issei weakly rebutted. The tension was at an all-time high now but before it could escalate further, Fuu clapped her hands twice, saying "Alright, this argument's over…!"

She left her seat and straightened her back. Though it wasn't worth of mentioning, but her low twintail unfurled and waved a little as Fuu raised a hand.

"Moving on to a new topic…" She turned her gaze to her little sister. "Itsuki, the printouts?"

"Ah, yes!" Itsuki scrambled and retrieved papers from her bag. "Here's for everyone! Each one gets one, okay?"

"…What the heck?" Karin asked after receiving one. "'Children's Festival Assistance'…?"

Indeed. The paper was about some sort of plan and it explained in enough details about lists of activities with designated time and locations.

"Wait… What is this? Why am I participating too!?" Karin shouted. "Don't just suddenly add things to my schedule!"

"Eh? Karin-chan, do you have something to do this Sunday?" Yuuna instantly replied.

"What? Wh… Of course not! But that's not the problem here—"

"Then that's alright!" _Issei_ interrupted this time. "It'll be fun! It's better than being cooped up by yourself in your room or something, right?"

He grinned widely, even as Karin took a step back as her face flushed red.

"H-How did you know…!?"

That was a huge mistake in her part. Karin herself seemed to have noticed it but it was too late.

"Eh? You're doing nothing in your room when you have free time?" Fuu gaped. "Isn't that depressing?"

"Hmm… Guess Karin-chan lacks a hobby, then…" Issei pressed two fingers on his chin. "She's good at _kendo_ though."

"Well, that's because her weapon of choice _is_ a sword," Tougou smiled. "Also, her style is _Nitoryu_ so Karin-san must have studied and practiced a lot."

The rest of the Hero Club discussed and threw their opinions all over the place without restraint. Standing stock still as they talked about _her_ and all things about _her…_

"A-all of you…! Stop digging into my private life as you please…!"

Karin tried to scream – keyword being _tried_ – but unfortunately, the damage was already done. It took a while for her to regain her composure and even then, she inhaled before sighing; her shoulders drooping down dramatically.

"Uggh… That's it," she said. "I give up on you lot."

…uh-oh. That sounded serious. Issei quickly glanced to the club leader and she mirrored his expression in terms of reaction. _This is getting bad and we need something to prevent the upcoming calamity!_

"Ah, well, you know that…!" Fuu scrambled for words in haste. "That's because we're more like… that's right! Hands-on people!"

 _What kind of reassurance is that!?_ Issei couldn't believe his upperclassman. Not even _he_ would make a seriously poor joke like that as an excuse!

"You just made that up on the spot, didn't you?"

See!? Even _Karin_ thought the same way!

"Eh, you're going to go bald if you worry about the smaller details."

"As if I'd go bald!?"

While Karin blew a fuss and argued with Fuu – the latter taking it in a stride unlike the former – Issei sighed. _Back to square one_ , he thought but Yuuna clapped her hands together and drew everyone's attention.

"Don't worry, Karin-chan! You're likely to succeed if you try!" Yuuna beamed. "So let's make sure the children enjoy the festivity this Sunday!"

"Wh – hey!? Don't just pull my hands along!" Karin retreated. "Also, why do I have to participate too!?"

"You don't want to…?"

"Mgh…!?"

 _Ah,_ Issei exhaled. _There she goes. Not even the resident Tsundere can repel Yuuna-chan's natural charm._

While Yuuna acted bubbly and cheerful almost all the time, whenever she had something to ask for, she would utilize the fearsome puppy-eyed skill. It was basically a surefire instant-kill ultimate move only the redhead possessed, and it was extremely destructive more so than a teary-eyed Itsuki. When hit by that move, there was absolutely nothing one could do except accepting defeat.

The boy could only clasp his hands on Karin's direction and pay her some sympathy for that.

"Hyoudou-senpai… I don't think that's the right thing to do when someone is troubled like that."

 _Ah, whoops. Looks like Itsuki-chan noticed me, huh._

The boy rubbed the back of his head. For one, there was no excuse. He just couldn't help doing it, but he soon noticed that Itsuki's gaze didn't leave him. He asked her if there was something wrong.

The small girl waved hastily. "A-ah, well, it's nothing… It's just."

 _Just?_

"…I hope with this, Karin-chan can be welcomed in our club."

…Oh. To think she could say such a line with a straight – even hopeful face… Issei grinned and looked back as the interaction between Karin and Yuuna ended with Karin reluctantly agreeing on her demand.

"Yeah," Issei said. "I'm sure she will."


	29. Interlude - Miyoshi Karin

Something was wrong with all this.

For once, Miyoshi Karin woke up later than usual. However, it was still early in the morning and when she left the embrace of the blanket covering her body, cold air greeted her and made her quiver to her toes.

It was… a little warmer than usual, she guessed. Karin thought that summer had truly begun with that observation. However, she quickly shelved that thought since she had _something else_ to do, and walked to her apartment's living room.

For being a 14-year-old girl living by herself, Karin was surprisingly independent. Of course, it was necessary because of her duty. She didn't mind living somewhere that wasn't her home. _Besides, nothing would change if I remained there._

Indeed, she had no complaints. The place that Taisha provided definitely suited her purposes. She had no need or any reasons to ask for more. The cardboard boxes still containing her belongings and the stacks of newspapers on top of the shoe box were the only traces of someone living in the apartment. Compared to that lively school and that noisy club room...

 _…I'm not lonely. This is normal for me,_ Karin told herself. The girl glanced briefly at the small table where colorful papers and a pamphlet were left idly before she went towards her refrigerator to fish out leftovers from the night before.

In the way, she saw a lone paper crane sitting on the floor. Karin picked it up and placed the fruit of her efforts on the table a little away from the leftover dish she was about to consume.

"Thanks for the food," the girl said while clasping her hands together.

Once breakfast was done and she had cleaned up, there was one last thing to do for Karin and that was morning exercise. Since it was Sunday, Karin decided not to take a run outside, partly because she didn't want to run into someone from school who knew her... and partly because of _that idiot's_ advice.

 _Ugh… why is it that he's got a point about the growth rate…?_

As Karin was about to return to her room to use the treadmill, the doorbell rang. She looked at the entrance, knitting her eyebrows. _Who is it…?_

Newspaper service wasn't available on Sunday, so she shouldn't have gotten any. The appointed time was… still two hours away, so she should have received a notification if there was a change in schedule.

The doorbell rang again and Karin grumbled. It was probably some random salesman offering something, just like always. Those people wouldn't leave unless they were rejected in person, so the brunette walked to the door and opened it.

"Yo, Karin-chan." A boy with messy brown hair raised a hand in greeting. "Are you ready?"

For the first time in her life, Karin slammed the door in someone's face.

" _Waaaaaiiiitt!?_ There's no need to be so harsh, right!? Oy, Karin-chan…!"

* * *

 _Yep, there's something wrong here._

Karin begrudgingly walked ahead while dressed in casual clothing. For ease of movement and minimum decency, she had chosen to wear baggy shorts, a brightly colored sleeved t-shirt and short-sleeved jacket combo, and a pair of sneakers. She was carrying a backpack filled with colored papers for _origami_ and some other stuff meant for playing with children.

Silence filled the morning air.

"Err… did I appear at a bad time?" The boy walking behind her asked.

"Yes. You ruined my morning." Karin harshly replied.

She could _feel_ a wince incoming and now she felt bad about it. She didn't mean to speak out with utter disgust but her temper and adrenaline had been… Well, perhaps it was right to say she was in a bad mood. Karin wasn't a lethargic person but after everything that had happened ever since she transferred to Sanshu Middle School…

 _…isn't this no good?_ She could have just rejected the boy's invitation to meet up earlier than scheduled, or she could have decided to sleep the whole thing off. Sunday was the day she could rest without doing anything, and she wasn't particularly eager in participating. There were a lot of better things to do than this… right?

In the end, Karin sighed. "…sorry. It wasn't my intention to insult you."

"Uh-huh," a positive response came from behind. "Well, I can already tell if it's that. Karin-chan _is_ a tsundere, after all."

 _Who's a tsundere!?_ Karin wanted to grind her teeth and yell out but no, there should be something more important to do, right? Yes, for example…

"How did you find my address, anyway?" Karin diverted the topic with a question.

The boy blinked. "Didn't you write your contact number and address when turning in the club application form?"

 _Ah, right. There's that, huh._ To think she had already forgotten about that… _Ugh, am I really frustrated to the point of forgetting those little details?_

As she thought, it wasn't good. She needed to take a break or else she would break under the pressure, and a grave failure like that must not be allowed to happen. As a Hero, she had to set her bearings and be responsible about her duty…

"…wait a moment," Karin whispered as realization dawned on her. "…does that mean _everyone_ knows where I'm living at!?"

"Duh. _Of course_ everyone knows. What's wrong with knowing your friend's address and contact number?"

 _That's not it!_ Karin was halfway from protesting but then she was hit by another shocking realization.

"…did you…" Stopping dead in her tracks, Karin slowly turned around to face the only male member of the Hero Club. "…what did you say?"

The boy with a red t-shirt covered by an unbuttoned short-sleeved shirts tilted his head.

"What's wrong with knowing your friend's contact number and address?"

She didn't mishear it.

That rhetorical sentence implied something important. Or rather, it was blatantly tacked in there like a neon sign. Hyoudou Issei probably considered it as common sense but for Karin, it was like getting hit by a freight train.

 _Friend? He thinks we're friends?_

"…you…" Karin tried and failed to find the right words to spell out her feelings. "…w-whatever. So why are you—"

"Karin-chan, isn't it fine for you to have fun?"

 _…huh?_ In front of her, the boy looked straight at her eyes. It was as if he was trying to find something, but Karin was already frozen solid due to his words. _W-what's with this guy…?_

As soon as stillness permeated in the air, the boy closed his eyes and breathed out through his nose. He walked forward, stopping only after he was right in front the girl. He gently patted her shoulder.

"Come on. The meeting spot is ahead of us so let's wait there," said Hyoudou Issei. "I just got news that Yuuna-chan and Tougou-san are already there."

"Haa…? Why so early…"

The boy merely laughed in response. Even though it wasn't an appropriate answer, Karin surmised that he was planning something. However, she didn't sense malice so… what was the catch?

"…I'm going to hit you if you dare to do something shady."

The boy hastily shook his head and waved his hands. "No way! I haven't even landed a clean hit on you or even Gin-sensei, you know?"

So he said. Karin decided to leave it at that and resumed walking. She had already been told where the meeting spot was so naturally she knew where to go and which path she should take. It wasn't a problem since she had memorized Sanshu's town layout, anyway, and after fifteen minutes went by, they finally reached the meeting spot.

"Oh, there they are!" A familiar, bubbly voice echoed throughout the park with a tree standing tall at the center of it. "Karin-chan…! Ise-senpai…!"

…as expected, she couldn't handle that redhead more than anything. There was also that girl with multiple fairies despite being a beginner Hero…

Even though she had zero enthusiasm for their activity, Karin hesitated from simply reacting, as making rash decisions would just make things spiral out of control. She didn't need a repetition of past events, not to mention...

"Hey," called out the brunette to the boy next to her. "Why does she address you with a different honorific?"

Issei promptly rubbed the back of his head. _He's probably not used in getting appreciated by others considering his track record._

Yes. Karin had no doubt about it. The intel Taisha had given her was mostly accurate in describing who and what Hyoudou Issei was. The report was also written by the Nogi house which was one of the top two in the Taisha's hierarchical order, so questioning its credibility was next-to-impossible.

Still…

"Well, this and that happened, I guess." The boy shrugged his shoulders. "It's hella embarrassing if I were to explain so let's just leave it at me being myself while Yuuna-chan will forever stay as Yuuna-chan. Besides…"

 _Besides…?_ Karin waited for a follow up to come but suddenly she was pushed from behind. The girl yelped as she felt a hand on her back pushing her against her will. It turned out Hyoudou Issei was using all of his strength so that she could join the pair waiting up ahead quicker.

She didn't ask for this!

"Wai-you-what are you…!?"

"The main actor is you, Karin-chan. You can't keep everyone waiting, right?"

 _What kind of excuse is that?!_ Karin protested incessantly and tried to claw the concrete pavement with her feet but it was too bad that she was up against a part-dragon. Against something as absurd as Hyoudou Issei, Karin had no method to adapt or even deal with him...

 _"It's fine, you know?"_ A sudden whisper entered her hearing. "Even if it's only for a short while. Even if we're going to part ways somedays... let's live our days to the fullest."

And so, another big push made Karin stumble forward. She took a few large unsteady steps with a yelp, and she glared back after preventing herself from falling flat on her face. Despite that, Hyoudou Issei grinned with hands on his waist.

"I know you can do it, Karin-chan!" Issei stated out. "Hero Club's five tenets! You're likely to succeed if you try!"

"Gh…!? You little—"

"Karin-chan! Hurry hurry! Everyone's been waiting!"

 _Eep!?_ Karin squeaked as her hand was pulled. Once again she was dragged around by someone else, and it was _Yuuki Yuuna_ of all people again. The girl stared at the bright gaze and the brilliant smile she had on her face… _and yet it felt as if nothing was wrong with the situation._

 _What does this mean? What's happening? What's going on?_ A lot of questions revolved inside Karin's mind. Once again she recalled that line from earlier. That particular sentence that implied she was _a friend_ to someone…

The hero girl glanced behind her. While she and Yuuna left the park, the boy and the wheelchair-bound girl stayed behind. It might be that they were waiting for the remaining club members but they were clearly waving their hands in her direction.

 _Are they cheering me on? Seriously?_

…They were probably dead serious about it. With all these shenanigans happening in succession, of course Karin would be at a loss for words.

Even so, she felt there was nothing wrong with this.

Even so, she thought it was alright.

And so, the girl turned her gaze to the back of the girl with a ponytail.

That fluffy ball of sunshine who kept on going strong, no matter how high the hurdles ahead of her were. That girl who persistently requested for Karin's participation and all sorts of club activities… That very girl who was now pulling her along as if living a life guided by her whims…

 _This is… alright. I think…_


	30. Chapter 26 - Shining Hearts I

Morning.

The cloudless sky beyond the Inubouzaki Fuu's room window looked as if someone spilled pure blue paint on an infinitely wide canvas. She stretched her body while smiling widely at the fine weather outside of the current Inubouzaki residence.

"Ungh~! Today's going to be another wonderful day!"

With a mood as bright as a blooming sunflower, the middle schooler began her daily routine with a finesse honed by experience. First, she collected her dirty laundry and changed into her school uniform. She then took the chance to swiftly sweep and mop the living room floor, and then she opened the nearby curtains and windows so that the fresh morning air would circulate inside. _Next is breakfast..._

The girl walked to the fridge and checked its contents. Though there wasn't much since only she and her little sister lived in their room among the student dormitories, they still had more than enough to whip up a luxurious yet balanced meal for four people. _Eggs, onions, celery, milk..._

"Oh. Looks like we're going to have omelette rice."

While at it, she might as well empty the fridge. Nothing should be wasted and lunch boxes sounded wonderful.

Psyching herself up, the blonde girl wore her apron over her uniform and started cooking. Soon there was a delicious aroma spreading from the kitchen, and as if sensing that, one of the doors in the apartment opened up. A bleary-eyed Itsuki pronounced her presence.

"Good morning, Itsuki," greeted the elder sister. "Come on, wash your face and change your clothes. School's waiting, you know?"

"Mmkay," the younger sister replied as if sleep talking. She is a handful, but Fuu thought that Itsuki had all the rights to keep being herself. She was still young, still had the choice to do what she wanted. The future was never certain, so this moment – this present – was much, much more important than anything for her.

Even so, Fuu accidentally recalled the past a little deeper than the usual. She winced when the figure of the first Vertex appeared, and she shuddered when she recalled the bloody and battered body of her junior.

 _...How many times am I going to mess things up?_

Fuu didn't know. She wasn't sure. The girl only knew that it was her fault that her friends and family were dragged in due to her actions. She had, after all, deceived everyone that she knew by hiding secrets and disguised parts of her true intention.

Taking a deep breath in, Fuu released her frustration in a single sigh. _No time for that_ , the girl told herself. Fuu refocused back on her cooking and put aside the problems for another date. The meal was almost done too so she decided to do some taste testing...

"...Hmm," grunted Fuu. "Should've asked Itsuki if she wanted it salty or sweet."

* * *

Meanwhile, Issei felt like running today.

He couldn't help it. He was enjoying his life as much as he could havee, but now that he had stopped being human almost completely, he constantly needed to restrict himself so as not to harm those he held dear. Two-third of his body was draconic in nature, and that meant he could do superhuman feats such as reaching the roof of a two-storey house with a single jump, and smashing through concrete wall with a body slam.

 _Aaah, I just can't get used to this_ , he needed to restrain himself, but another part of his mind was completely against that thought. That part of him felt anxious, as if invisible chains were binding him down from simply taking flight into the sky.

He briefly wondered if that last part was his newly gained draconic instincts. He didn't have any scaly wings (yet), but he had been feeling excessively energetic lately.

Still, mulling over things wasn't Hyoudou Issei's style.

He would think about how to solve a problem when it was shoved to him. He'd assume things, be chided for being wrong by others, and then learn something from it. But sometimes, the simplest solution is the best answer.

That was why he decided to run as fast as he could, becoming one with the wind. It wasn't like he was running late and coincidentally, he woke up earlier than the usual today. Issei also chose the routes people rarely used so it was a-okay!

"Mh? Why are you here, brat?"

And then he came across an enormous man in a tank top and striped trousers.

"Bgha!?" Issei tripped so spectacularly that his body rolled and hit a light post.

"The hell are you doing?" The _bastard_ – Heracles asked as he walked to the vending machine sitting next to the entrance to a rundown dormitory.

Despite having his world turned upside-down, Issei could still somehow make out what his Instructor was doing. He inserted a 100 yen coin into the machine, pressed a button and after several moments, squatted down to take out his order. It was a ramune.

"Owch... Ugh, my back hurts..." The by groaned as he got up. "What... What are you doing here?"

He wasn't planning on addressing the Greek guy with respect so he got rid of his manners and politeness from the get go. Naturally, Heracles reacted by scoffing to his direction. A press of his finger sank the ball lid into the bottle with a _pop_ , and then he took a quick swig.

"...Pretty good. The taste is childish, though."

 _The heck does that even mean?_ Issei honestly wondered what the guy's problem was, but as if reading his mind, Heracles leveled a glare that seemed to say "you're too young to understand."

He must be raring to fight even in trousers. _This guy is even more of a freak than me…_

Unexpectedly, because he was paying attention to something else, Issei didn't think Heracles would drink the ramune in one shot.

 _H-how,_ the boy shrieked internally. Ramune – or rather, cider – was a carbonated soft drink with a peculiar taste that a first-timer could never get used to. Issei knew because he was a fellow victim tricked by his father, and most people he knew had the same impression initially. How did Heracles kept being unfazed? _I mean, I can't believe it! H-he just drank it down as if it was nothing…!_

"What are you looking at?" Heracles interrupted, glaring and then scoffing as if in spite. "I'm not giving you pocket money, kid. Go buy one yourself."

 _The hell!?_ "Who'd beg money from you!? Besides, stop getting carried away, you self-centered prick!"

A beat later, Issei drew a parabolic line in the sky before hitting the ground headfirst.

"Alright, you're getting extra beatings next session." Heracles stated as he walked off.

"Y-You already hit me! What the hell is wrong with your head, you dumbass—"

For the second time today, the boy got closer to the heaven without willing to.

Issei bounced off the ground twice before he laid down like a run over victim, his eyes spinning as his brain shook around inside his skull. There was a sliver of thought that he had it coming but no matter how much he tried to protest, only pained gurgles escaped from his mouth.

"…oh, yeah. I almost forgot."

He heard the bastard's voice again, though this time it was fainter; probably because of the distance the two had between each other.

"You," the Champion called out, and pointed at the boy with his index finger. "If you ever think this entire Heroing thing is impossible, and if you want to give up on this country, just say it."

 _…Huh?_

"No one is going to blame you, anyway." Before he could ask what he meant, the man faded from view like a morning mist driven off by the sunlight. "After all, it's idiotic to 'protect' this kind of world."

 _…What..?_

* * *

"If you say it in that way, then yes, it does seem like a strange thing to say."

Hours had passed and now it was time for the second school recess. At his classroom, Issei discussed about what he had experienced with his friends. It didn't need to be said that he was complaining about Heracles being Heracles and the difficult time he was being put through.

Tougou worried about his physical condition but that was no sweat for the current Hyoudou Issei. Barely human he might be; the boy was built from sturdier stuff ever since the start of second year. Even getting hit by a truck would just dent the truck instead of getting him killed and reincarnated in another world.

 _Besides, I'd have to pay for the truck's damage and be questioned by a lot of people if something like that happened._

"…There's something wrong with that man you call 'Instructor.'" The fourth person who joined the party on the last minute pointed out. "I don't care if he's some other version of a Hero, but that tone of his is just downright condescending."

As expected of Karin, the girl didn't even need to beat around the bush. She went straight for the kills and Issei respected her bluntness in this situation. After all, he thought of the same thing.

Still, ever since last Sunday, things sure had changed. Now that Karin entered the clique and opened her heart to everyone, the awkwardness and forced acts gradually lessened. Naturally, that didn't mean everything had smoothed out but Karin tried her very best in reciprocating everyone's kindness.

"Even so, a foreign Hero…" Yuuna looked up in deep thoughts. "Does that mean every country out there has their own Heroes? That sounds amazing…!"

"I doubt a Hero who isn't defending his own country can be called 'great', Yuuna-chan…"

"Yeah, that guy's not amazing at all…" Issei alternated between quipping and eating _yakisoba_ bread. "I mean, Heroes are supposed to be bigger than life or inspiring courage wherever they walk, right? The guy is totally unlike that. Not. At. All."

No matter what everybody thought of him, Heracles was not someone Issei could look up to. In fact, he wouldn't want to be like that. Being entirely focused on power and telling other people to just give up on something like a know-it-all…

"Hmph. If it's like that, then you lot are also acting unlike proper Heroes."

 _Now that hits way too close to home,_ the boy thought with a groan. At Karin's offhanded jab, the boy had no excuse and the duo who were always seen side-by-side also expressed their guilt by laughing like a broken cassette.

Even so, Yuuna diverted the topic with a bright smile and a clap of hands.

"Oh, that's right! Since it's already right around the corner, what will everyone do during the summer vacation?"

"Summer vacation…?" Issei raised an eyebrow. "Well… I guess I'm going to be stuck in training camp."

Someone would definitely ask why he intended to keep on training. The boy understood the logic behind that, since that was totally not what you'd expect from a middle schooler. However, he had his own reasons, and that was to catch up to his friends.

Because he was weak. Because only he knew and understood the big gulf of strength between them.

"Ah, but that doesn't mean I'm not going to have fun, okay?" The boy waved. "I have plans and I've got a load of things to talk with Sonoko-chan about. I'm going to increase my points and score a hit this time!"

Indeed, he intended to do just that, but that didn't mean it was acceptable for everyone. Tougou was the first to react by creasing her eyebrows together.

"That doesn't seem like a plan at all," said the girl in the wheelchair. "It is admirable for you to dedicate yourself to your duty, Issei-san, but even a patriot requires rest no matter how brief."

"Well, yeah, but—"

"So something's wrong with you too, huh? I wonder if all Sacred Gear users are like this."

Karin struck a mighty blow! Issei lurched but he couldn't fall here! Not yet, he told himself but he felt his spine tingling all of a sudden. The boy turned to face the girl sitting across from him and he found a teary-eyed Yuuna who looked like an abandoned puppy the longer he stared at her. _Crap…!_

"So Ise-senpai won't be coming along with us…?" Yuuna pursed her lips and pouted. "Even though the beach is a wonderful place to visit this year…! It's not going to be as fun if everyone can't be together!"

 _Say what!?_ "B-beach…!? A-are you saying that everyone's going to the beach next holiday…!?"

Holy shit, now that was a bomb dropped on his face. Issei's mind was blown away by the prospect of Yuuna's proposal. His mind raced from beach to sea to sunlight to sand andfinally to _girls clad in swimsuits_.

What did that mean? If Issei were to continue on his training camp, then he would miss out on that wonderful scene worthy of the entire world. He would _never_ see the cute Yuuna sporting a sundress and a straw hat. He wouldn't be able to watch the Inubouzaki siblings playing in the sea while squealing and giggling. He wouldn't even catch the sight of _Tougou in bikini…!_

"…Uwah, he short-circuited." Unknowingly, the fifth Hero commented after drinking down a cartoon of strawberry milk. "Is this guy always like this?"

"Well… you get used to it, I guess?" Tougou tilted her head.

 _I'm sorry, what? I haven't gotten to the point of rubbing suntan oil on—_

"I-Ise-senpai!? Your nose! There's a nosebleed!"

"Eh – _Owaah!?_ "

* * *

 _Now that was something to be worried about…_

Issei had to admit he was getting overly excited. Summer was the most dangerous season in his opinion because there were a variety of problems that came up with its arrival. First would be the annual shutdown of electricity to prevent the generators from heating up, the second would be the dreaded heatstroke and all sorts of illnesses that followed after it.

The boy would add mosquitoes as the most notorious problem on top of all that, but that could be handled if he laid out an insect repellent before he slept.

At any rate, he had to pay attention to his own health or else his past efforts would be for naught. Even if it was raining outside.

"…Gah. I forgot my umbrella." Having been caught unprepared by the weather, the boy sunk his head down before he rested his cheek on the cool surface of a table. "Urgh… That means I have to wait until the rain dies down…"

"Too bad for you, isn't it, my junior?" His upperclassman chimed in from her seat situated diagonally across of him.

"Fuu-senpai, you _also_ forgot to bring an umbrella, right? Isn't that why you're here even though everyone else had already gone back?"

Fuu refused to exchange eye contact. Too bad that her silence confirmed the truth so even though it was petty, Issei pursed his lips into a weak smile and snorted in triumph.

Still, the talk died down and now the club room felt empty again. Looking over, it turned out only the girl and the boy were still around. It was partly because there was no club activity today, and it was also because the weather took a poor turn right after classes ended. _Yuuna-chan accompanied Tougou-san to the hospital for the latter's regular check-up, Karin-chan went back because there's nothing to do, and Itsuki-chan…_

"Come to think of it, where's Itsuki-chan?"

"Hm? Ah, we were supposed to be shopping for dinner today," answered Fuu as she fiddled with her smartphone. "I got called by the faculty so I told her to go ahead. Turns out there's a downpour by the time I was done with my business, and now I'm stuck here."

 _Ah, she's grumbling._ It seemed Fuu didn't like how helpless her situation was but going against Mother Nature was plain stupidity when you're alone. _Not that I can't understand her pain…_

Considering how perverted he was, Issei understood that getting a girlfriend would be downright impossible. Nobody liked perverts, so that meant it was his destiny to be single forever, right? That's just how it's supposed to be, right?

"…Ugh… Now I'm depressed…" The boy held his head and groaned. "Maybe Karin-chan was right. Something must be wrong with me."

To clear his mind, Issei rotated his head and stared at the scenery beyond the windows. The sky was dull gray in color. Countless tears fell from the heaven, wetting the trees surrounding the school field and turning the light brown ground into a deeper shade. At the same time, the rain obscured the world as if staring through damaged foggy lens.

The boy breathed out warm air. At times like this, working felt too much to handle. Like any other people, he lost motivation in doing anything when a rainy day appeared. Not that you got driven to laze around – though some would say otherwise – but there was a beauty in listening to the raindrops and watching the ashen scenery that seemed to go on and on.

"…Say, Fuu-senpai."

The boy tried to call out to his friend. However, there was no response. Strange, it wasn't like Fuu to not at least pay attention when addressed. The boy rotated his head again but he spotted the blonde upperclassman staring at her smartphone with an unreadable expression.

 _…Fuu-senpai?_

Thinking there must be something wrong with her, Issei quietly left his seat and circled around the table. What he noticed first was that the messaging application was opened on Fuu's smartphone. The layout was surprisingly simple and there was a short message from a familiar name.

Before Issei could react, Fuu gasped and her finger swiped over the screen, causing the messaging interface to close up. The girl with long twintails looked back as if she had seen a ghost, her face pale but when her green eyes reflected Issei's figure, Fuu's shoulders sagged and she breathed out.

"Eh? Ah! _Junior-kun,_ don't just sneak behind a lady! What are you, a creep!?"

 _…Uh…_ The boy wasn't sure how to react now. On one hand Fuu was clearly acting like a child who was busted for doing pranks… on the other hand, the content of the message from earlier was…

"…Fuu-senpai." Issei called out.

"Y-Yeah?"

"Let's check the faculty and see if we can borrow an umbrella."

"…huh?"

Whether it was due to a stroke of luck or not, the two obtained a big umbrella. Apparently, someone left it behind and since nobody had picked it up for the past few months, they were told it was better if the tool could serve its original purpose.

"Hah. Looks like it's my lucky day, today."

"Eeeh… I'm not so sure about that." Fuu breathed out while pushing her bicycle beside Issei. "I mean, you're not going to do something with ulterior motives, right?"

The boy chuckled with visible tension riding his voice. Of course he wouldn't do that… Well, maybe a bit, but he was more concerned about his upperclassman and the weather right now. Yes, there was no way he would use such an underhanded method. _I mean, sharing an umbrella is classic so—_

"Hm. Yeah… you probably won't." Fuu grinned. "I'm plenty sure _the current you_ wouldn't do that. I must be overthinking it, yup!"

 _…Let me cry a river on the inside, right here and right now…!_

"Ugh, thanks for the votes of confidence…"

"Aww, don't tell me you're disappointed?" Fuu shoved out a playful grin and tapped his back several times with her right hand. "Just think of this as a rehearsal for the real thing. Let's see… maybe like, walking your older sister home!"

 _Ugh… That still doesn't help at all, you know…?_ Despite protesting, Issei decided to accept her words and reformatted his thoughts. _At least the mood grew lighter_ , he thought. Then, the boy returned his gaze forward.

"…so, what's bothering you, senpai?" He asked. "Did Taisha send you some news about the next battle?"

The rain drowned out even the roars of car engines. The two had walked off quite far from school and they arrived at an intersection. Unfortunately, the light was red so they waited for the countdown to trickle.

As he heard a city car slowly coming to a halt right before the pedestrian crossing, Issei glanced to his left.

"…Ah, well…" The elder Inubozaki's hung her head low, obscuring her expression from view. "…so you _did_ see that. Voyeurism is bad, you know? I'm disappointed, my dear junior."

"Har har. Say whatever you want." The boy put on a face. "Was it that bad? I didn't see the content of the mail, but you're being pretty easy to read right now, senpai."

At his remark, Fuu gasped, but her voice was quiet enough to be mostly drowned out by the rain. She was probably trying to salvage the mood somehow, but both Issei and Fuu knew that it fell flat. Or rather, Issei was hurt by the facade his club leader wore.

 _It's like she can't even trust me,_ Issei thought, _If it's like that, does that mean she never even told anyone, even Itsuki-chan?_

That was bad, yeah. The boy didn't know what kind of circumstances Fuu have, but he knew that it was burdening her a lot. Heck, _anyone_ could tell something was wrong from her current behavior…

While Issei churned his brain to come up with some words to use, the light turned green and the two marched forward. As they crossed the empty street…

"…There was an oracle report." The boy raised an eyebrow at the girl's words. "An oracle is a prediction, kind of like divination or fortune telling. Anyway, the point is to find _something_ about the upcoming battle like how many enemies will appear, or how intense will the battle be."

"…And the result is…?"

Fuu strained a smile out. "'Expect the worst' – they said."

Even though the boy hasn't said anything, the girl cackled. "Funny, isn't it," she said with a voice thick with depression and sarcasm that was completely out-of-place for her.

"Even though it might be our only chance to take notes or make an effective plan against the enemy, that doesn't explain anything, right? But if we were to take it literally, then…" Fuu's shoulders sagged. "I guess it won't be wrong if we're going to fight the remaining Vertexes in one go. Should it come to that, there's not much we can do."

Although he wondered why Fuu would think so pessimistically, Issei soon realized what she meant. After all, nobody knew much about their enemy – the Vertexes.

All they knew was that those monsters were born from the Virus that destroyed the world. The Virus just suddenly gave birth to the Vertexes and announced their intention to finish off the remaining humanity. Without anything to explain about their creation, their power, or even their reason…

"…if you put it like that, then I guess you're right, senpai." The boy moved his right hand and scratched the back of his head. "But that doesn't mean we should—"

"I know that already!" Fuu raised her voice all of a sudden. "I know that already, Issei…"

Little by little, the girl hung down her head and her voice trailed off. The small whispers were dispersed by the rain, but it escalated the wrongness of the situation even more. Issei stared long at his upperclassman, his lips parted open and then closed several times. In the end, he looked ahead and took a deep breath in.

 _What should I do,_ he asked himself. He wasn't an expert in helping depressed people. Or rather, no matter how much he tried to understand, he was sure what he felt and what Fuu felt were two different things that couldn't be mixed together.  
 _  
Damn, so I'm still useless, huh?_

How could he understand, anyway? He was never a leader figure, he didn't know how it felt being burdened by responsibility, and he never thought what kind of consequence would his decision affect the people surrounding him until recently. But Fuu was different; she was a leader, she had responsibility to uphold, and burdens only she could carry.

 _That doesn't mean anything,_ Issei thought immediately after. Even if he couldn't understand Fuu, he wanted to help her. He wasn't smart and he acted on instinct most of the time, but he would be damned if he couldn't at least lend a helping hand when someone he knew were in trouble.

 _Should I break the wall? But how? Will it succeed? What should I do after that? What am I supposed to do if it gets worse instead of… anything?_

As the rain grew more intense and the sounds of his footsteps shrank in the moment, the brown-haired boy blew a warm air through his mouth; his shoulders sagging by the seconds.

 _…As a friend, what can I do to help without messing things up?_


	31. Chapter 27 - Shining Hearts II

Sanshu Municipal Middle School had a cafeteria larger than what Issei had expected.

It wasn't extraordinarily spacious but it was big enough for a third of the student body to comfortably fit in, and it was lunch time. Naturally, the place was bustling with students and Issei joined in the crowds. Sometimes, he wanted something different so he decided to buy some food that could fill his growling stomach.

After he obtained his pork cutlet sandwich and orange juice, the boy spotted a short blonde student going around as if sleepwalking.

"Errm, Itsuki-chan?" He called out. "What are you doing here?"

The girl squeaked with tense shoulders. Issei wondered a little why she would react so badly but then realized why. _I just called out to my timid female junior in the middle of a large crowd…_

Before he could berate himself or bash his head against the nearest wall, the girl with short blonde hair turned around like an unoiled robot. He saw many canned drinks in her arms – _wait a second, one of them is sliding off her grasp!_

"S-S-Senpai!" Itsuki cried out. "Please help me!"

Issei obeyed as fast as he could.

* * *

Thankfully, nothing bad happened. Well, actually, some spilled and got ruined but to prevent calamity from breaking out, Issei immediately bought substitutes that matched the drinks Itsuki once had.

After much soft negotiation and coaxing, Issei carried half of the drinks and followed Itsuki to her classroom. _Now that I think about it, I rarely go through this part of the school._

He wasn't good enough in paying attention to the details, so he didn't know what type of thing the first-year usually did when outside of lessons. Once he entered the hallway that had most of the first-year classrooms, he was greeted with interesting scenes ranging from students playing tags in the hallway, chit-chatting while sitting on a table, or drawing giant robots on the blackboard.

He also didn't expect to see some having a mock sword battle using wooden rulers but it wasn't like his class was any different when fooling around. _I mean, Matsuda, Motohama, and I pulled off the most extreme stunts now that I think about it._

Huh, did that mean his group was the weirdest bunch throughout the school? Issei hoped that wasn't the case. He wouldn't live it down if the first-years caught winds of his past exploits… _Wait, I've already been here for more than a year so that means they already knew!_

"… Uh, Hyoudou-senpai?" Itsuki called out from his left side. "Are you okay? You look depressed…"

Issei laughed like a broken cassette. "Well, you know… Itsuki-chan, sometimes you think disappearing into a black hole is fine, right?"

"Eh? Uhh… maybe…?"

Such an innocent soul. It was too bad that he was carrying a bunch of canned drinks. Had one of his arm been free, he would have patted that cute ideal little sister and showed a smug grin to any jealous single guy like his male buddies! What a shame!

"Ah, o-over there is my class!" Itsuki muttered.

Issei tilted his head and followed her lead. As Itsuki entered the classroom, she was greeted with a small round of feminine cheers. Issei noticed the girls surrounding Itsuki all picked up a canned drink she had but when some looked confused and asked where theirs were, the younger Inubouzaki sibling hitched a breath.

 _Ah, right,_ Issei thought as the shy girl's classmates looked at the doorway. More specifically, they stared at him and before long…

"Huh!? A-An upperclassman!?"

"W-Why is Inubouzaki-san is with… Could it be, her boyfriend!?"

"What!? Who the hell laid a hand on our cute and lovable mascot Itsuki-chan!?"

Oy, the last one. How dare you to call Itsuki-chan yours, you bastard!

While he could understand the charms of his dear junior, lusting after her was off-limits. Heck, he would beat the ever living shit out of anyone who had any funny idea and it seemed most of the boys in Itsuki's class were all closet perverts. _Looks like I have many graves to dig._

Either way, it seemed the situation wouldn't defuse itself, so Issei stepped in, and walked over to Itsuki and her clique.

"Here's what you girls wanted, right?" The boy placed the canned drinks on a table next to him. "Next time, make sure to go along with Itsuki-chan. She couldn't bring everything along, you know? Friends are supposed to be helping each other out."

The girls meekly responded with a stuttered 'yes'. Feeling satisfied by their responses, Issei was about to excuse himself, but—

"U-Umm!" Itsuki exclaimed. "Hyoudou-senpai, thank you much!"

Issei blinked owlishly at her smooth line. He didn't expect Itsuki of all people to work out the courage to be upfront even in front of the public. Honestly, he was as surprised as Itsuki's classmates, but well…

"You're welcome, Itsuki-chan!" Issei beamed as he ruffled his junior's hair lightly. "Well, I'm going back to my class. Catch ya later!"

While humming, Issei left the classroom but when he got back to his classroom…

"Oh, that was fast," Karin looked up from her seat, then she presented her hand. "You said something about a special deal in the cafeteria, right? Where's mine?"

"…Eh?"

There was a sound of a cricket chirping in the background.

"…Crap." Issei inevitably stated out, even as the brunette narrowed her eyes. "I… have a solid excuse for forgetting your request?"

"…I gave you my money." Karin suddenly pointed out.

"Y-Yeah?" Issei felt cold hands of Death reaching out to his heart.

"Give me back my money." Karin stated in a tone that cut away any impression other than dominating.

 _Oh, fuck me with a silver spoon…!_ "…I-I just spent it all on juice…"

The glare drilling into his conscience intensified by a hundredfold.

"…Umm…" Issei backed away as he felt his sanity and self-esteem eroded away. "P-Please have mercy…!?"

That day, the sparring match turned into the Final Battle between the Hero and the Demon King, though it was more on the level of a peasant with a pitchfork against an Asura.

* * *

To those watching, Issei looked like a ragged doll thrown into the river and picked up after sailing through several oceans the next day. If one were to summarize his condition, he was dead tired, and as if uncaring, the slave-driver sat while munching dried sardines diagonally across of him.

Honestly, it was a sad sight to see.

"Ugh, my body feels like lead." Issei groaned.

"You lack training." Karin swiftly cut the complaint in halves.

The boy pressed his forehead on the table and let loose a chain of sounds from growling to outright teeth-grinding. Naturally, he knew how pathetic he might have made himself as, but it wasn't like he could hold back the suffering and agony that wrecked his body, mind and soul.

As such, he deserved the right to annoy Karin by pestering her with various disturbing sounds. It was a miracle that Tougou and Yuuna were on an errand together, and the same applied to Fuu so nobody could stop him! If he kept the pace as it was, he knew that he could get an extra mile in annoying the girl—

"Haa…" A sound was heard coming into the club room.

Both Issei and Karin perked up at that depressing sound. They spotted familiar short blonde hair but once they focused on the girl's face, they realized something was wrong.

"Eh? Itsuki-chan?" Issei raised his upper body and straightened his back a little. "What's wrong?"

Either she was truly out of it or maybe there was something on her mind, the girl responded only after several seconds had passed. Issei left his seat and checked on her but that instead caused Itsuki to flinch and scurry away like a retreating bush dog.

"Ah, s-sorry! Did I scare you?" Issei quickly bowed his head. "You didn't look okay so I just…"

"Uh…" came a strangled voice from Itsuki's lips. "Uhmm… I-It's okay. It's just, umm…"

An awkward silence stretched before it was broken by Itsuki's exasperated sigh.

"Hyoudou-senpai…" The girl met his gaze. "Can I ask you to fulfill my request?"

Both Issei and Karin blinked.

"Err, sure?" He looked back at his classmate, finding the brunette already erased any trace of boredom on her face while he wasn't paying attention. "Do you… want tea while at it?"

Itsuki merely nodded, and Issei scrambled off his feet.

It took time to brew the tea but fortunately, the dispenser had already boiled the water. Issei sprinkled dried tea leaves into the teapot and poured hot water in. In the process, he took his time while slowly filling up the pot.

In the meanwhile, Karin opened up the conversation as Itsuki settled in a seat directly across of her.

"So, what's your problem, Itsuki?"

Issei winced at the callous start. Even though Karin had been trying to socialize in a better way, it seemed bad habits die hard. _I'll tell her that later or else she's not going to have friends in class…_

Itsuki struggled for words. The boy glanced over his shoulder and he saw the younger Inubouzaki sibling rubbing her knees together. She even fiddled with her hands by intertwining and pulling them away.

"W-Well…" Itsuki looked up, the next sentence drowning in silence, and then she hung her head. "I'm sorry… Please give me more time to prepare my heart."

 _…Is she trying to confess her love?_ There was no doubt the same question crossed through Issei's and Karin's heads. _I mean, she's being way too shy!_

To prevent the talk from turning into another fallout, Issei served tea to his fellow club members. Once he had finished, he placed the tray back on the cupboard and sat in-between Karin and Itsuki.

Obviously, it was hard to come up with a good way to break the ice. _Do I have no other choice…?_

The boy sighed, "Uh, Itsuki-chan? How about you try to relax? Don't worry, Karin-chan won't bite."

He naturally ignored the glare sent to his way and covered his ears for the jab that he definitely deserved. He'd do anything to smooth out the unpleasantness drifting in the air, so he would definitely apologize later.

"Mm," replied Itsuki. "Actually, I have… a test, soon."

Issei couldn't help but to vocalize his surprise with a resounding 'huh'. He gave the calendar a brief look and realized that yes, tests were coming but it was still two weeks away before summer vacation. If he failed the end of term tests, he'd waste his youth like an incorrigible idiot.

"Not that one!" Itsuki rectified, but she shirked away after that. "Umm, while it's a worrying matter too, but…"

As she once again returned into her shell, Issei pondered. It took a little while but he slapped his right fist on his left hand.

"You mean pop quizzes or something like that?" The boy ran his hand through his hair. "Sorry, Itsuki-chan, but I always give up when a surprise mini-test comes up…"

"Isn't that a bit much?" Karin asked in disbelief.

It was the truth! As if he could do something about things beyond his control!

Sure Issei could just study the night prior, but he wasn't a genius with eidetic memories. Once he dozed off, his mind would surely turn as empty as blank paper. _Do you even understand how hard it is to not getting sidetracked while memorizing algebras!?_

"It's…!" Itsuki interrupted. "It's… a singing test, for Music class…"

"Music class…" Issei leaned in his chair and stared at the ceiling. "Hmmh… Now that's a totally different beast."

"… Are you sure you didn't get lucky in enrolling to this school? Just what kind of thing are you good at if you're like this?" Karin asked.

Issei breathed out through his nose as he shrugged. "Well, I don't have anything to brag but if I were to be proud of something, that'd be in Fine Arts, I guess?"

He wasn't lying about that.

If he remembered correctly, his grades for that particular class was a little higher than the rest. Of course there were ups and downs, but usually, the grades depended on his mood and mindset although Issei had to admit the reasoning was somewhat iffy.

At any rate, it wasn't the time to talk about him so he returned his gaze back at Itsuki.

"Are you bad at singing, Itsuki-chan?"

"I don't know if I'm good or bad at it, but…"

 _But…?_ Issei waited patiently, the girl seemed to be gathering her courage. However, the act itself felt weird. Why would Itsuki be hesitant? Did something happen? Was she a poor singer? Or could it be…

"Well," his junior continued. "I… I like singing. It's fun and calming, but if it's singing in front of everyone…"

 _I see._ It wasn't the singing part that Itsuki had a problem with, but a case of stage fright. Judging from the reluctance, it was an extraordinarily heavy case too which, if taken under consideration, would mean it was related to her personal circumstance. _Again with the delicate problem…_

The boy wanted to throw the towel sooner rather than later now, but as if he could do that. He would never abandon a friend requiring help and he had promised himself to be a better person. His only gripe was that he found out it was difficult for a person to keep on being good.

 _Ain't that depressing?_ Issei couldn't believe how negative his mentality had become and decided to recollect himself before proceeding ahead. He didn't forget to scratch his head due to the headache, though.

"Hmm… So, what do you want to do, Itsuki-chan?" he asked.

Since he was given confused looks from both his classmate and his junior, the boy decided to elaborate further.

"Well, your problem." Issei gestured with his hands. "If you're afraid, do you want to do something to encourage yourself? Do you need help with singing practice? Or maybe something else? What do you want to do about your problems, Itsuki-chan?"

Once Itsuki hummed in thoughts, Issei congratulated himself. He didn't want to force his opinion on her so he had to pick his words carefully. That was a lesson he had learned after pondering about his father's advice and his latest failure.

Then again, he talked with Ddraig for approval last night and he was given a 'barely passable' mark.

"Umm… I think, I want to…" Itsuki frowned. "...Mm. I want to pass the singing test, but…"

"You couldn't do it when everyone's looking?" Karin asked and when she received a weak nod, she sighed. "…Itsuki, you need to have some confidence in yourself. You're a Hero, you know?"

The petite girl groaned. Issei felt sorry for her but what Karin said was right, at least the first half of her advice.

Even if it was just a small thing, a little confidence could work wonder. That was how it went for Issei, and he was sure many people who succeeded in life felt the same. _What was the saying again, a small step can change the world?_

He heard a snort from within his head. ['One step can change the world'. There's no need to add more words to it.]

 _Augh, why do you know that phrase, anyway…?_

[Previous hosts.] Ddraig remarked as if stating out a fact.

 _Oh, yeah._ Issei tended to forget small details like that. He remembered Ddraig saying something about having various hosts before he ended up in his left arm and, well, he supposed the reasoning was as good as any other…

"… Huh?" Issei blinked as his eyes clouded over for a moment.

He rubbed his eyes, but there was a sudden urge to yawn following after that. He immediately suppressed the urge since he was in the middle of work, but… _Ugh, looks like I need to stop playing porn games until two hours before dawn._

It looked like he had to finish this request before his mind wandered away. Just as he thought of the next course of action he needed to take, chirps of words with giggles that rang like bells entered the club room and he saw a redhead and her best friend.

"We're back~!" Yuuna cheerily announced, then blinked. "Huh? Only Fuu-senpai hasn't returned?"

"Seems that is the case." Tougou nodded, stared and tilted her head at the scene in the club room. "What are you three doing?"

While Karin heaved a sigh, Issei looked up to the two other classmates of his and left his seat.

"Perfect timing!" He exclaimed. "I have an idea!"

* * *

When Fuu finished the odd job tasked to her, she didn't expect to get dragged away by her juniors.

Even though she was confused by the sudden turn of events, she followed along. It wasn't like there were more requests and everyone had fulfilled their quotas, so it was just right for them to have fun.

"But I didn't expect getting dragged to a karaoke…" The blonde girl with long curly twin-tail diverted her gaze from the mini-stage to the perpetrator that proposed this karaoke session. "So what's the deal with this, Issei?"

"Well, Itsuki-chan is having trouble with the upcoming singing test so we decided to help her out!"

 _Is that how it is_ , Fuu thought. The boy was impulsive like always. Despite that, he had mellowed out somewhat and it seemed he had put a good amount of consideration in his impromptu plan. Sure, there were holes in his logic but they weren't visible and he didn't bring up that _talk_ , so…

"I guess this is better than having Itsuki practice in class…"

As an older sister, Fuu understood well Itsuki's shyness couldn't be cured so easily. It took time and efforts for her to open her heart with a stranger and there was her self-confidence… _Now that I think about it, I haven't asked how she's doing in class lately._

Fuu expelled a deep breath through her nose. She scratched her head and grumbled to herself but before she could be noticed, she wiped the concern written on her face and grabbed the remote. _If they wanted to have fun while at it, then let's make it big!_

"Next is my turn!" She said while getting up. "I'll show you what a real girl power is!"

"Uh, I don't think being real has anything to do with Girl Power…"

 _Whatever you say, Issei!_

As she stood on the stage, the monitor behind her started to flash colorfully. From the speakers the intro of a song began playing out with the vibrant beats of drum. Fuu gripped the mic in one hand, placing it close to her lips as her other hand made a gesture as if firing a gun.

The blonde winked with a bright smile on her face. "Sing until you drop, everyone!"

* * *

 _That was, fun…_

It was nearing evening. The outside had gone dark and stars grew visible in the heavens above. Itsuki breathed out as she waited for her older sister in front of the karaoke box. Yuuna, Tougou and Karin were not in sight because they had gone home already so only she, Fuu and Issei had stayed behind.

"Uh, why is the bill… Wait a minute, why is it mostly about snacks?" From beyond the glass doors Fuu's subdued voice echoed, quietened, and… "T-That damn cow!? Yuuna, your Gyuuki ate too much!"

A ruckus could be heard. Both Itsuki and Issei silently stepped aside from the front door and after a short silence ensued…

"Looks like we should have bought snacks beforehand instead of taking those things in the basket, huh…?" Her upperclassman looked to the side with distant eyes.

"Y-Yeah… Gyuuki-chan was a voracious eater…" Itsuki agreed.

"…Actually, I didn't even touch the drinks."

"…Same here."

The two chuckled in resignation. Itsuki honestly thought a giant waste of money and good food. _I'm sure Hyoudou-senpai is thinking the same…_

"So," then the boy muttered. "What do you think, Itsuki-chan? Can you do it when the test comes up?"

Itsuki immediately hung down her head. Why did he have to remind her of that, even though he of all people knew what had happened when she was singing earlier…

"…It's a failure, huh…?" Her upperclassman looked up before he sighed. "Man, if that didn't work, then I'm totally out of ideas… I mean, I'm not that good in this singing stuff…"

"...Ah, that's right." Itsuki recalled what the boy did when it was his turn.

Even though he said all those cheesy lines with powerful bravado, it turned out all he sang were Anime songs. She couldn't forget how he tried to ham it up only to end up with severe point reduction due to the massive amount of off beats he had produced. _If only he didn't try to show off, it would have been fine._

That made her laugh a little.

"… H-Hey, Itsuki-chan…? Please don't tell me you were thinking about that display from earlier…?"

"Hmm? What do you think, Hyoudou-senpai?"

The boy groaned with both of his hands on his face. He looked as if he wanted to find a hole to hide in, so Itsuki laughed even more, and the poor boy murmured gibberish as the tips of his ears turned strawberry red. _Ah, no good. I can't keep on laughing over and over, Onee-chan said it's bad manner._

"Um, it's okay, Hyoudou-senpai!" Itsuki turned around to face him. "I'm sure you can do better next time!"

"Ungh… I hope so…" Issei heaved and pulled down his hands. "Well, I guess that applies to both of us, then."

 _Huh… ah, right. That's right, I have to do my best too, but…_

"…I'm not sure if I can do that…"

To her muttering, the upperclassman tilted his head. He asked what she meant, but Itsuki didn't want to explain right away. After she was stared at for a while, she gave up on resisting.

"Say, Hyoudou-senpai?" Itsuki transferred her gaze to the right side. "How come you are so strong?"

"…Huh?"

The girl wondered if he didn't catch that or if he was too simple as a person to even understand that. She thought he would answer right away since that befitted someone like Hyoudou Issei, but… _Auhh, how should I explain this?_

"I mean…! Senpai has been…" Itsuki moved her left hand to grab her right wrist behind her back. "You have been through so many things, but you kept on smiling and pushing through no matter what happened…"

He fought tooth and nail against Vertexes even without the blessings of the Shinju, and always ready to help at any moment. He wasn't broken hearted when his love was rejected and he helped make Karin be their friends even though not much time had passed ever since his recovery and the end of his first love.

He resembled Yuuna in that aspect – although she wasn't sure if her other senior had already experienced rejection – but there was something unique with this upperclassman of hers. If she were to put it in words…

"…You have such a strong heart, senpai…"

Silence descended.

It was something Itsuki wasn't familiar with. How was she supposed to explain it? Her body was shivering, and her legs felt weak. She wanted to lie down and rest and be done with everything now, but did that mean she was too weak?

"… Well, I'm honored to hear that, Itsuki-chan."

Itsuki's shoulders jumped once she felt a hand ruffling her hair. She looked up and she realized the older boy was giving her a head pat… right in the middle of the street!

"S-Senpai…!?" Itsuki squeaked.

"Shush. Just listen to me, okay?"

 _Listen to what!?_ Sure Itsuki was familiar with head pet through her older sister's antics, but the frequency was few and unlike Issei's touch, she felt comfortable when Fuu did it. This head pat was making her heart race! It was strange, but _why!?_

"Itsuki-chan." The girl perked up only to meet the boy's warm gaze. "I'm not strong."

"...What… do you mean?"

The moment that question left her lips, the boy pulled back his arm. His smile turned brittle and he closed his eyes. After he shook his head, he lifted his chin and gazed at the starry sky above.

"I'm not as amazing as you think," he said. "I'm not as optimistic as Yuuna-chan. I'm not as smart and polite as Tougou-san, and I'm not as straightforward as Karin-chan."

 _…What about Onee-chan?_ Itsuki didn't realize she had let her thought out until Issei laughed. _Eh, now I sounded as if Onee-chan was deliberately left out...!_

"Well, I guess I don't have Senpai's charisma. She's a natural born leader unlike a loser like me."

As he said that, the boy scratched his head. His eyes rolled to the side but his lips were pursed as if finding words to say.

"I think," he continued on. "I think the reason I looked strong is that I've been trying to be like everyone."

 _Uh…? What did that mean?_ Itsuki didn't know what to say about that. Did that mean he was imitating someone? If it was like that, then Itsuki would have known; everyone would have noticed. After all, impersonating someone was something difficult to do.

"Hmm, how should I put it?" Issei crossed his arms and leaned his back against the wall of a closed store. "I've been trying to make my dream comes true. But that's impossible if I stayed as I am right now, so I decided to ask many people and learn things from them."

"…Is that what you mean by 'trying to be like everyone'…?"

The boy nodded in confirmation.

Unfortunately for him, the words couldn't get through Itsuki's head. She wasn't sure if he was being serious or not, and she didn't expect such an answer coming from a person who she considered 'strong.'

 _This is so weird_ , the girl thought as she creased her eyebrows together. _Does that mean not even senpai have the answer?_

As if he had read her mind, he suddenly said, "Well, to be honest, I have no idea about what I'm doing."

"…Huh?" Itsuki blinked. "B-But then, why did you look… How can you be so strong like that?"

The boy cocked an eyebrow at her question, and the girl took a step back. _Oh no…_

"Itsuki-chan." Despite the poor lighting, she could tell the boy was fixating his gaze on her. "Why are you so persistent about being strong?"

 _Aaaah, I messed up…! Truly_ a blunder. She was being too forward with her approach. Of course Issei would notice that. For someone as shy as Itsuki, being direct was something out of her character, and she was being so blatant that even Yuuna could read her like a book! _Uuu, now I want to find a hole to bury myself in…_

"Do you want to be strong?"

"...Eh?"

"Do you want to be strong like your older sister, Itsuki-chan?"

Itsuki widened her eyes. Her mouth was hung open, and she couldn't respond properly to the arrow that had definitely pierced through all of her guards.

However, Issei had stolen the initiative away, and he proceeded on.

"I'm not sure what you can learn from me, but… Maybe you can try to be her strength?"

"Strength…?"

The boy nodded. "Of course, that doesn't mean you should just follow her everywhere and help her all the time. I mean, that's too much and you have your own life to worry about."

The boy sighed, stopped leaning himself against the wall and straightened his back.

"But if you can, please be her strength when she needs it the most."

"…Why?"

Issei made a confused sound. Noticing that, Itsuki immediately rephrased her word.

"Why would you say that?" Itsuki looked up at her senior. "That sounds as if you can't be of help to anyone…"

The boy laughed once again. However, it wasn't ill-natured. It sounded as if he was giving up on something, and that stabbed the girl's heart. _Why would he laugh like that…?_

"Hmm." Issei placed both of his hands on his waist. "I guess… that's because I can't do anything by myself."

Before she could retort to that self-depreciating remark, Issei walked to Itsuki and patted her head.

"Eep!?" Once again Itsuki jolted and this time she retreated – only for her to bump ways with her older sister who had just exited the karaoke box.

"Whoa, Itsuki? What's wrong?" She looked at her sister with a hand on her shoulder and then glared at Issei. "Hey, Issei. Didn't I tell you my sister is off-limits?!"

"Why is it my fault!? I didn't do anything!"

"Liar! I'm sure you did something!"

Issei whined as Fuu scolded him. It was loud and the argument grew heated, so the two slowly but surely drew the attention of the people in the street.

All the meanwhile, Itsuki didn't know if she could be of some help in a situation like this.

"Aaaah, Onee-chan! You're embarrassing yourself, you know!?"


	32. Chapter 28 - Shining Hearts III

Once again, a song was heard from the Domestic Science Preparation Room.

The rhythm was off, and the intonation oscillated without direction. Even to an amateur, you can tell how dissonant the song is. In the end, the music quietened and silence descended in the room used by the Hero Club.

"…That's…" Someone said without continuing further.

"Not good enough, yeah." Issei nodded as he crossed his arms. "Not that it was terrible, since there are improvements, but…"

"I suppose Itsuki-chan has no other choice but to get used to it…" Tougou concluded.

"Uuu… I'm sorry…" Itsuki who was still standing in front of everyone cast her gaze down to the floor.

"Ah, no, Itsuki-chan, it's not your fault. You just need to have some confidence. There's nothing wrong with you, really!"

Though saying that, the fated day was fast approaching. It'd have been fine if everyone could put their all into helping their fellow club member but unfortunately…

"…It's fine…" Itsuki sulked as she sat down again. "There are requests to be done so I think I can train on my… own…"

She was losing her spirits!? Quick, someone had to salvage the situation before she fell into complete despair!

"Haa… I don't think she has problems in singing," the elder Inubouzaki sibling said. "Itsuki really can do it when she tries. Well, maybe it's because nobody would be listening, but I can guarantee her scores."

"…Really? What is the problem, then?" Issei tilted his head.

Fuu merely raised her hands and shook her head. Seeing that hopeless answer, the boy exasperated, and he looked back at his senior's little sister who picked up a rice cracker from the snacks offered to her by Tougou and Yuuna. Probably, the two were trying to cheer her up and it was true that taking a break might improve her mood.

He alternated his gaze between his junior and his senior. After a while, he rubbed his temple with his thumb and closed his eyes in hope that it could give him a peace of mind.

 _Seriously, what can I do to help if it's like this?_

* * *

Later that day, everyone scattered in all directions to finish off the remaining requests.

Needless to say, it was because everyone wanted to help Itsuki afterwards that they psyched themselves to the limits. Issei who was caught up in contemplating about solving two issues in one-go ended up with Karin who dragged him to the shopping district.

Why there? Of course it was to fulfill the request of the owner of a florist.

"I'm sorry, you two… Taking up your precious time to help me." The old woman said when the two entered the store.

Issei marveled the place. His eyes were drawn by the colorful flowers and the various vases they were put in. He looked to the right and spotted light blue hydrangeas, and close to them were chrysanthemums shining bright yellow from the sunlight that peeked into the store.

From one extreme end of the color spectrum to another,the florist was like a wonderland of flowers.

"It's a job so there's no need to worry." Karin's voice reached only to fade from his mind when he took a step toward the shelves filled with flowers. "Which ones are we supposed to put out?"

"Well, the flowers that will be put on display are in the back… Come with me, dear."

Before he knew it, Issei broke himself from his reverie, only to find the entire store devoid of people. _Did Karin just go along without me?_

Well, now that, he wasn't sure of what to think. The girl was a very serious person and she was a hard-worker. She probably wanted to get the request done with so that they could go back to the club room even if a second faster.

"…Well, what should I do now?" Issei scratched his head. "The store isn't closed, probably not for a while and I'm not sure what will happen if I just go in as if I owned the place."

The boy exhaled. _Any idea, Ddraig?_

[How should I know? It was _your_ fault that you got yourself distracted by the flowers.]

"I can't help it, you know…" Because he knew nobody was around, he let loose words as if he was talking to someone.

Had anybody else were to look at him right now, he would probably be treated as a creep. The store was empty except his presence and yet here he was doing a monologue. _Not that I care about that…_

"Say, Ddraig. Do you know what these flowers are?"

[As if I'd know. Only you humans and Fallen Angels would try to classify and name everything.]

 _Spoilsport._ It wasn't like Issei was the genius who labeled all animals and plants and bacteria in Latin.

He didn't want to get bored or ditch Karin so it was best to stay in place and stand guard. It didn't look like the store had other workers too, so he thought of looking out after the florist just in case.

"Come on. Can't you at least cooperate a little with me this time?" Issei looked up to the ceiling as he crossed his arms. "It's better than sleeping all the time like some shut-in, right?"

What he heard next was a deep sigh full of resignation. It didn't seem like Ddraig was complaining so Issei rejoiced over the fact he could kill some time. Maybe Karin would remember fetching him to help out…

"So what do you think?" The boy squatted down to touch the leave of a blue rose. "Flowers sure are nice. They're pretty, relaxing to look at and they have this refreshing scent."

The dragon sealed in his left arm snorted. [Are you talking about flowers or 'flowers'?]

 _"_ Huh? Isn't that obvious?"

[Well, yeah… Ah, whatever. None of my business,] Ddraig sighed. [I just remember that brats as young as you wouldn't get it. It'd be strange otherwise.]

 _Eh, I don't get it._ Issei had question marks popping on top of his head, but he decided that he ought to move on regardless.

[…They are like you, partner.]

As he touched the crown of a blue Lily of the Valley, Issei glanced to the entrance that faced the street.

[The flowers,] Ddraig elaborated. [Born from a small seed, growing as they climb out from the layers of rough earth. Anyone, even a dragon wouldn't have noticed if the tiny buds were trampled under their feet, yet those fragile things struggled to bloom.]

The air was comfortably cold. It wasn't chilling, maybe because some flowers wouldn't be able to survive otherwise. Issei thought about Ddraig's words and his thought came to a pause when he noticed something odd with the wording of the dragon.

Was that nostalgia he sensed?

"Do you like them, Ddraig?"

[We Dragons don't have any interest in what doesn't catch our attention,] answered the Red Emperor Dragon. [Flowers are fragile. You can say that they are weaker than you humans because it's so easy to crush, cut, burn, or pluck them just so that their petals can scatter into the winds. Even if left alone, their bright colors and beauty only lasted until they wither away.]

 _But,_ the dragon added.

[Struggling ceaselessly just to flourish before the end comes… Even if it's full of vanity, it's not a bad way to live.]

Then, there was silence.

Issei wasn't sure what he was looking at. His mind had already floated away in the moment, unable to process what he had heard. He snapped out once he heard a clatter and the ringing bell that signified a customer's arrival.

"Hmm?" Issei turned his head to the entrance of the florist, catching two figures that probably reached only to his waist. "Who are…"

Karin was furious.

Or rather, she was ready to transform into Hero form just so she could unleash a fury thousands of times stronger than the sunray at the peak of summer. She had realized Issei wasn't around only after she was done with organizing the pots and knowing which ones needed to be replaced, but when she stomped her way back to the front part of the store…

"Alright, here you go!" Sitting on the floor with two children looking up at him was her brown-haired classmate, his hand holding out something that was welcomed with cheers and praises. "How does this look? Better for you?"

"Un! Thank you, Onii-san!" a little girl smiled as she held her straw hat decorated with a flower crown.

The boy grinned widely. However, the other child, a boy demanded him for something the girl next to him had obtained, and Issei complied with a nod.

What were they doing? Heck, what was _Issei_ doing that he ended up taking care of kids like some kindergarten teacher?

It was only after Karin saw him taking out – _isn't that the flowers on display!?_

"Oh my." Karin turned to the side and found the owner with a hand on her lips.

 _No good! This is no good at all!_

"Ah, uh…! I-I'm sorry!" Karin bowed down her head. "That guy is – he's…!"

The elderly woman raised an eyebrow, but she met Karin's frantic gaze and smiled.

"There is nothing to apologize for, dear." She looked back to the group. "Those flowers are the ones that needed to be replaced. I don't believe there's anything wrong with this."

Karin hung open her mouth without being able to utter any word. She stayed like that for a bit before she clamped them shut; redirecting all of her tensions in one big sigh.

"Not this one, not that one…" Karin murmured under her breaths. "Just why is this always happening to me…?"

She didn't know whether her complaint was heard or not, but the laughter of the children made her to look up and scrutinize the scene a little deeper. Then, she blinked.

 _…Are they siblings?_

While the girl had trimmed long black hair tied in a semi-bun to the side, the boy had similar deep brown eyes that matched hers. Combined with the similarity in their facial features, Karin could tell that they were related to each other despite the stark contrast in their preferred colors for their clothes.

Just as she was trying to learn more about them, one of the siblings looked up and widened his eyes.

"Obaa-chan!" He called out then waved. "Hey, can we play outside? I want to show this to everyone!"

The old woman – no, the grandmother of the two smiled. "Of course you can, Kouta. Make sure you look out for the cars and always stay by Chi-chan, alright?"

The boy nodded with a wide smile. He exchanged looks with his sibling and the two entwined their fingers. As they were about to leave the shop, the girl made a sound and turned to face Issei.

"Ise onii-chan, thanks for the gift!" The bracelet made from flower braids dangled on her wrist as she readjusted her hat. "Nii-sama, let's go!"

"Make sure you don't let go of my hand, Chikage!"

Like a gust of wind, the children left the store and laughed in a world basked by sunlight.

* * *

"You ditched me."

"Ugh." Issei placed a hand on his forehead. "I know, I know… Sorry I wasn't helping. Did you need to rub the fact in again?"

"You played with children instead of working your ass off." Karin's glare intensified. "Get your priorities straight, you pedophile."

Issei almost stumbled as he felt his heart broken into tiny pieces by a sledgehammer. In the glow of sunset the boy writhed in agony, groaning as if suppressing an urge to cry. _It's not my fault that I get along with kids, right!?_

However, he heard a sigh coming from Karin and he turned to look at her. As the weather grew warmer these days, Karin had switched into the sleeveless version of her uniform. It also didn't come with the gray sailor top so the image she gave off was refreshing for Issei.

Still, he asked about why she sighed and Karin rolled her eyes to the side.

"It's nothing," she said. "I'm amazed you still have the energy to fool around like that. Really, your non-human traits look conspicuous only in that area, huh."

 _Uh… Should I count that as a compliment?_ Since Issei wasn't sure if that was a compliment or not, he opted to scratch his cheek and laugh awkwardly.

Karin shook her head, and the talk died down. As they traversed along the street next to a big river, Issei could see some fishes leaping out of the water, their scaled bodies shining with the gloss of the sunset. He felt a gentle breeze pushing from behind him and he looked up when he heard the caws of the seagulls.

 _It's nice to spend time like this,_ Issei thought. Around this time, he was sure everyone would have already been to the club room to clean up before getting ready to go home. He wondered if he could ask for tea first. If his memories weren't failing him, today was Tougou's turn and her tea had that light but refined flavor.

"…Issei." Karin drew back his attention from the surrounding to her. "…Those two children you played with."

Issei tilted his head at the lack of point in her sentence. He nudged her with a quiet nod and Karin looked ahead of her as if pondering about something.

Then she said, "…They are siblings, aren't they?"

"Uh-huh… And?"

What was Karin trying to say? Why was she having a hard time in putting up words? While Issei could understand her shy side, Karin was a lot more upfront and her personality was a lot more offensive than Itsuki. _Wait, maybe I got this backward?_

Thinking about it, Karin was asking about the two grandchildren of the florist shop's owner. It seemed like Karin was observing him while he played with them up until they went out to play outside. What she was interested in was…

"Ah, so that's it." Issei tapped his fist on his palm lightly. "Karin-chan, you have an older brother, right?"

"…Huh!?"

 _Eh, was I wrong?_ Issei didn't expect the yelp and the whip of head to the side. Why did she respond like—

"H-How did you know I have an older brother!?"

"Ah, whoops?" Issei stepped back as Karin stopped walking and drilled an intense glare at him. "Uh, I-I can explain! I mean… Well, my old man is actually working in the same department your brother is in."

"Whaaaatt!?"

 _Sh-she doesn't even know that!?_

Karin grabbed Issei's collar and pulled him down to meet her eye-to-eye. "How?! Why!? Since when!?"

"Close! Your face is way too close and your eyes are scary, Karin-chan!"

As if noticing that, her grip loosened and Issei stumbled backward. Thankfully, he stopped himself from falling into a nearby ditch. Still…

"Unh… W-Well, I haven't seen him before." Issei fixed his collars and swiped down a hand over his shirts. "To be honest, I don't even know what he's working on but my old man seems to be having some fun with it…"

"…I-Is that so…?"

 _It is so,_ Issei nodded without saying the words out. Karin could put one and one together anyway so he was sure she could fill the gaps by herself. However, she was growing quieter as the seconds ticked by, and pairing 'quiet' with Karin didn't fit at all no matter what the circumstances are.

The two resumed walking but the atmosphere was just too heavy for another conversation. Issei wondered if something had happened in the past between Karin and her older brother, but family matter was not something he ought to be privy about unless it was absolutely necessary.

In the end, the two parted ways and as Issei watched the back of his classmate growing further and further away…

"…I hope she's alright."

The brown-haired boy rubbed his head in frustration. Somehow, the conversation took a similar way in terms of producing results. So not only did Fuu have her own problems, but _Karin_ as well. On top of that, Itsuki had some sort of concern about 'strength' and asked him about it a few days ago.

He didn't want to admit it but there were chances of it having relation with her family circumstance, so…

"Gaaaaaahh! Why are things so complicated!?" Issei clawed his head and stomped the ground several times. "Ugh, why is this happening, anyway!? I want to help but how am I supposed to help if it's like this!?"

He seriously didn't get it. Was he too foolish to even try to? However, he wouldn't give up just because he was an idiot and if it was for the sake of someone he cared about, he'd go through hell and high water to do just that.

Even so, it looked like these were issues that couldn't be solved even with brute force. _If I can't even use what I'm best at, then what should I do next…?_

[You learn your limits, of course.] Ddraig suddenly made his presence known in his mind. [If violence doesn't solve the problem, either you haven't tried enough or it truly requires a different approach. At some point, you will notice your own capacity and see that everything isn't entirely black or white.]

 _…That… is surprisingly deep._

[It's not a new saying, but you may need it if you want to keep on being true to yourself,] Ddraig said offhandedly. [Just like Gods above and the likes of Oni, we Dragons prefer honesty when interacting with others. That is especially true even if said honesty will lead to demise.]

 _An upright lifestyle, huh…_

[You have a problem with it?] Ddraig asked.

Issei shook his head. "I guess not, if you put it like that. That sounds like what I'd do, anyway."

[Hah! True enough.] The Heavenly Dragon laughed. [You have a fine affinity for being a pure dragon, partner.]

"Thanks but no thanks," the boy sighed. "I'm not crazy enough to live and fight forever."

However, the burden on his shoulders had lessened somewhat. Issei thanked Ddraig for talking with him and he stopped thinking for a second. He looked at the Walls separating the sea from joining with the sky, refreshing his mind by burning the picturesque scenery into his memories. After that was done…

 _Let's think of it this way,_ he thought. _If charging ahead won't solve the problems I'm having, then what can I do to solve them?_

The answer came in a simple way. Divide the problems into smaller, isolated pieces, think hard about it in a sequence, and then act only after he was sure of his next course of action. Issei wasn't sure if this was the right thing to do but nitpicking could be for later. What was important was that he had acquired a way to deal with the problems at hands.

"Yeah. Guess I should do just that," Issei murmured as he nodded. "For now, let's do it step-by-step."

As the sun sank in the western sky, night fell and time marched on.

* * *

Fuu was in deep thoughts.

She scrunched her eyebrows and pursed her lips. Her gaze was different at the moment, narrowing as her green eyes reflected a stack of papers designed with a table spreadsheet. The paper was special because it was meant for grammar exercises but sometimes, that sort of paper would be used to jot down a story script.

In her case, Fuu was having trouble pouring out words into a decent script.

"Gah… This is hard," Fuu said with a sigh and shake of head. "Geez, why isn't there any brilliant inspiration around?"

"…Is it really that hard?" the voice of her junior came from across her. "Or rather, what are you doing, Fuu-senpai?"

"Well, my treacherous vassal," Fuu let out a dramatic flair as she raised her pen, "as you can see, I am making a script for an upcoming skit our club will perform in the autumn school festival."

"Heeh… For the school festival, huh…" Issei's eyes scanned the blank script without blinking until his mind processed what he had heard. "…Wait, what? Skit? Are you serious?"

"Seriously serious." Fuu grinned, then she laughed when her junior planted a hand on his face. "That being said, this is because the club has grown in size so we can now take up many requests and do something befitting a proper extracurricular activity."

The boy rubbed his chin. "Huh? Are you saying what you've been doing last year doesn't count as real club activity?"

"Well, that's because Itsuki hasn't enrolled here and you and Karin were out of our range. Particularly you, Issei."

Issei winced, probably remembering his past deeds and all the troubles that forced him to deal with the Disciplinary Committee, Student Council and the Hero Club. Fuu herself maintained a smug grin but she couldn't forget even if she wanted to.

After all, Hyoudou Issei was the first Open Pervert she had ever encountered in life.

"Now that I think about it, even though boys your age would admire girls with cute appearances or buxom bodies, only you would declare your preference in public." Fuu tilted her head. "Issei, are you sure you're not a freak?"

"I'm not! And please forget that part from your memories!" Issei covered his face with both of his hands. "I couldn't help it, okay!? What kind of normal male teenagers wouldn't like cute girls!?"

 _Ah, he's doing it again…_ Fuu almost blushed at the implication that he meant every word of it but she wasn't some cheap girls who would swoon over honest praises from a guy. She had too many reasons to sidestep any slight chance for a rose-colored school life. _Besides, I doubt he's playing around anyway._

"Such a problematic junior I have…" Fuu murmured quietly. "Just make sure you keep that thought to yourself unless it's absolutely necessary, Issei."

"I know, I know…" Issei spat out a sigh. "I don't really like keeping secrets but I have to consider the feelings of the people I'm interacting with, right? Man, why is human relationship so complicated?"

Fuu snorted at the sight of Issei unceremoniously laying his head on the table. She might not be able to see through the furniture but she could tell the boy was tapping the floor with his shoes impatiently.

"That's just how society works. You better keep that in mind or else you're not going to achieve anything."

The girl ignored the boy's muffled grumble. Moving her focus away from her conversation partner, she jotted down her pen on the script and…

 _Great,_ she thought as an urge to throw away the writing tool swelled up within her. _Where was I at, again?_

"…I don't think biting your nail in front of predicaments will help much, though."

"…You should apologize to all the people who have been dealing with crappy days all their life, my junior."

And he should. Fuu knew that feeling well but reality worked in a different way than dreams. For example, the more you knew about the world, the more you realized how chained you are. If you can't balance your wants and needs, then you'd just end up losing everything either way.

"I know that too…" Issei rotated his head to face the door. "…But, even if it's selfish, I don't want to give up and lose everything important to me."

The sunlight streaking through the windows was hot. The room temperature had risen slightly, causing Fuu to sense the dampness of her skins and the stickiness of her sweat. She wondered if she should turn on the fan but summer was closely tied with 'saving electricity' advice.

She wouldn't want the girls who were clearing requests out there to return only to find out there was a blackout.

"…Who would want to?" Fuu propped her right elbow on the desk and rested her cheek on the back of her hand. "It's not like I'm dissing your aspiration, but it's very difficult to even keep what you have in your hands from slipping away. If you become greedy…"

"All that I have will really slip away, huh?" The boy heaved. "…Reality sure sucks. I guess that a fairytale-like ending means I have to look past all the details and concentrate only in the acquired happiness alone."

"…That's just a form of escapism, Issei. Also, it goes against what you just said earlier."

"Then what should I do?"

Fuu had no answer to that question. In the end, she opted to shrug which earned a long insufferable sigh from her junior. It sounded as if he was disappointed, and his eyes were like a dead fish.

 _Why am I pissed off by that reaction more than anything else?_

Fuu rubbed her temples, thinking that resting might be the answer needed to break through her writer's block. "Either way, you shouldn't think too hard about it. You're going to go bald, you know?"

"The joke falls flat after the third attempt, though." Issei pointed out.

 _Shut up,_ Fuu protested in her mind. She didn't want to deal with so many headaches while she was working. It was unproductive and it wasn't in her style to be bogged down by heavy stuff. _Did I mess up by talking with Issei?_

"…Say, Fuu-senpai."

Fuu groaned. "Now what?"

She didn't bother to look at him. She was trying to rest so she would do just that. The summer haze must be affecting her. A glass of water would be grea—

"Today, do you want to eat udon?" Fuu's eyes snapped open like a flash of lightning. "It'll be my treat, but I can only pay for three people so maybe you can invite Itsuki-chan to—"

"I'm finishing the script right here and right now so keep the offer open, Issei!"

"Eh!? Are you for real!?"

As the stinging sunlight showered the town of Sanshu, the base of the Heroes was filled with scratching noise that rivaled even cicadas' cries.

* * *

In the end, Fuu did the impossible and now Issei was watching her wolfing down her third extra-large serving of kakeoroshi udon afterschool.

Honestly, he was scared of her appetite. Fuu didn't look chubby and she was athletic enough to carry weights on the same level as Issei. If he didn't know her well enough, he would have thought she practiced martial arts and went through some gruesome training regiments.

 _Well, it's Yuuna-chan who does that so it must be because Senpai is the one doing chores at home._

It'd make sense and if he remembered correctly, his mother rarely broke a sweat despite carrying several shopping bags in one hand. You can never judge a book by its cover alone, and Issei thought it was a convincing argument for him to swallow.

"Phwah!" Fuu smiled widely as she finished the udon down to the last drop of the broth. "Alright, one more serving, chief!"

"…You really aren't going to hold back, aren't you?" Issei took out his wallet and wept.

"…Hyoudou-senpai, I'm sorry," Itsuki muttered with a light bow of head. "Onee-chan tends to go overboard when there's a bargain sale or a treat like this…."

 _What is she, a housewife?_ Issei seriously wondered why the Inubouzaki siblings would live such a frugal lifestyle. Was their living condition _that_ bad, or was he missing something about the picture in front of him like always?

"It's fine, Itsuki-chan." Issei waved. "It was me who offered the treat so I should have expected at least 'this much'."

"What do you mean by 'this much', huh?" Fuu pouted. "You reap what you sow, Issei. Just man up already."

 _Yes yes, I know that, okay?_ Issei rolled his eyes and huffed. How many times did he need to be told off by the blonde upperclassman? While Tougou sometimes did the same, hers was a judgment passed if he was to cross a certain line. In other words, she would scold him only if it was absolutely necessary.

Meanwhile, Fuu's scolding was lengthy, nitpicking, and she even warned about the same thing again and again.

"Sometimes, Senpai's nagging feels like I'm being scolded by my mom…"

"I'm not that old!"

 _But your attitude doesn't match your age…_

"A-ny-way!" Fuu slammed the empty bowl on the table after she gave a flat look at Issei's face. "What's with this occasion, Issei? Suddenly treating us… Can I assume you don't want the others to know about this talk?"

"…Eh?" Itsuki's eyes widened. "Uh, what do you mean, Onee-chan?"

 _So I really_ am _easy to read,_ Issei thought with a bitter smile on his face. He suspected it but considering he was never subtle about doing things, he guessed that his friends would notice right away. _Man, does that mean I can't hide anything from them?_

[You sound as if you're unhappy with that.] Ddraig remarked.

 _Well, I have no idea about what the others are thinking so don't you think it's unfair?_

[…And yet some would be elated that others can understand them more than they could understand themselves,] Ddraig sighed. [You really are an immature brat.]

"Eh, what do you mean?" Issei murmured more to the dragon residing in his left arm but he felt a stare drilling on him. "Err, wait! That's not it! I'm not playing dumb, okay!?"

Fuu gave a pointed glare that urged him to go on. The boy gulped, squaring his shoulders as he exerted all of his efforts and willpower so that he would not avert his gaze from the two girls in front of him, and he spoke.

"Well… I've been thinking, you see."

"Thinking about what?" Fuu asked.

Issei waited, then sighed as he clasped his hands on the table.

"A lot of things," he said. "Like what Senpai said during that rainy day, or the thing Itsuki-chan asked."

The two Inubouzaki siblings flinched at that. He could tell that they were shaken and they glanced at each other with eyes full of anxiety. _It really looks like they don't want the other to know._

[But you have to say it,] his partner pointed out. [Choices have risks. Go and take up the challenge, partner. Isn't that what you learned after confessing your love?]

 _Got that in spades, Ddraig._

"…Is… Is it really necessary for you to talk about that here, Issei…?" Fuu asked as if she had swallowed a lump.

The boy nodded readily. "I don't want to be half-assed, and Senpai was the one who taught me to never be careless with my words. So, I won't take a chance and just do it anyway."

That was why he was here. That was _also_ the reason why the Inubouzaki siblings were here. Thus…

"Y-You…" Fuu stuttered only to bury a hand on her face. "Aaah… I swear, you're way too reckless. Just what kind of nerves do you have?"

Issei grinned. "A dragon's nerves, of course."

The older blonde gave him a mean glare but the boy shrugged it off. It wasn't scary and he was used to it by now.

"At any rate…" Issei inhaled. "Fuu-senpai, you told me to just shut up and follow your orders, right?"

Itsuki whipped her head to the side, staring up at her older sister with eyes full of disbelief. Fuu grimaced as it was clear Itsuki was wondering what that meant, and now she turned a strong glare at Issei.

 _Well, here comes my secret weapon._

"Sure thing." Issei grinned. "I'll obey your _every command_ when the next battle comes."

"...Huh?"

 _…Wow, this sure is getting funny real quick,_ Issei thought. He wanted to smile at the two siblings' dumbstruck faces, but he would be labeled as a weirdo if he kept on staring. Not to mention it would be extremely rude and there were better times to entertain himself.

 _This and that are two completely different matters, as they say._

"Well, I haven't told you my response back there, so I think it's already way past the time for me to keep on ignoring you." Issei waved. "Sorry, Fuu-senpai. It must have bothered you a lot."

"Eh? Ah, err… That's, well… Ugh, why do you have to be sensible at this kind of timing…?"

 _Because I am?_

Fuu gave him a look as if she had read his thought. After a few moments, the senior sighed and shook her head.

"I guess that that's just who you are, huh? You could have said that in the club room, Issei…" Fuu remarked tiredly.

"Maybe." Issei's grin merely widened. "But I'm sure Senpai wouldn't want everyone worry more than this, right?"

A squeak came from the seat next to Fuu. "…I felt like I'm at fault, here…"

 _Ah, whoops._ That was careless of him. Now Itsuki was sulking again, so before she could cry, Issei leaned forward and patted her head.

"Now, now. It's not your fault, Itsuki-chan. You just have to be gutsy and you will be set for life."

"But I don't know what being 'gutsy' mean…" The petite girl pouted.

 _Well, if it's like that…_

"…Sorry, I can't help you on that besides 'You just do it somehow'." Issei leaned back in his chair and raised his hands. "All I have is my own brand of shamelessness and insanity. Do you still want to be like me despite this?"

For once Itsuki looked up, pressed her chins with two fingers, and creased her eyebrows as if in deep thoughts. Both Issei's and Fuu's gazes gathered on her. As if she wasn't seeing anything, the girl pondered and pondered and…

"…I think I'd rather not become like you, Hyoudou-senpai."

In mock gesture, Issei clutched the place his heart resided in. He bent down as if he had a shock, then wore a hurtful face.

"Ow, my heart! You broke it, Itsuki-chan!"

Fuu rolled her eyes. "Do you even have one, my melodramatic junior?"

"And that's two hearts broken in one day!"

With that Issei cried out, and a short silence ensued around the table.

It didn't take long for one of them to giggle in amusement. Soon it was followed by a full-blown laughter from all sides, and only after Fuu recalled where they were did she stop laughing and proceeded to reprimand her underclassman and sister to calm down.

It didn't mean her smile left anyone's sight, though.

"Since you said it like that…" Fuu propped her elbow on the table and rested her cheek on her hand. "I'll work you so very hard you'll have back pains for a week, Issei."

"Please have mercy on me…" Issei pleaded as he heaved. "Getting hospitalized isn't fun, you know? The boredom is going to kill me if I got stranded there again."

"That's your fault for being so reckless," Fuu bluntly countered. "Perhapse, on top of surviving, I should have someone watching out for your antics. Maybe Tougou or Karin."

 _What!?_ "Are you trying to kill me!? Both of them are going to roast me to no end!"

"That's because I refuse to let you and Yuuna create some outrageously insane stunt that not even the devil can think of." Fuu pointed with an index finger. "So make sure you won't do anything stupid. It's going to worry everyone, otherwise. Right, Itsuki?"

Issei swiftly looked at the girl in question in hope that she would understand him.

However – reality is a cruel place.

"I… think so too," the younger Inubouzaki sibling nodded. "Un. Hyoudou-senpai can't be left to his own devices. I think…"

Finally, Issei's head fell onto the table. The boy breathed in, breathed out, then he groaned and growled in frustration. _I give up…_

[Don't just lie down like a doormat, you fool.]

"What else can I do?" Issei worded out a complaint but due to his situation, all that came out was a garbled incoherent mess of sound.

It was yet another thing the siblings in front of him took as entertainment, and now he felt stupid for not talking in his mind.

"Okay, that sounds crazy enough." The boy huffed, then inclined his head so that his chin supported it. "…So, then, now that Fuu-senpai's issue is solved…"

He gave a brief look at Itsuki. She noticed it and Itsuki tilted her head a little before she showed a wry smile.

"…Can't I… skip my turn?" She asked.

It was easy for both Issei and Fuu to deny her request. After the boy returned back to his default position, he further said.

"I've said this before, but I have no clue for your problem, Itsuki-chan."

"Un…" Itsuki nodded. "I get it. It's something I have to do by myself, right…?"

"Ayyup," Issei replied. "But well, I think you can try asking what you want first."

Should he explain? Issei thought for a bit and he bobbed his head. _Yeah, it might be better than doing nothing._

"For example, what you like, or what you want to do, or maybe something you want to achieve no matter what." The boy grabbed a glass filled with water. "In my case, I want to make sure everyone can return home safely. For my friends and my own sake, that's why I worked hard."

Ah, now he could feel a deep stare from Fuu. It wasn't hostile but he could tell she was probing for more information, as if suspecting some sort of ulterior motives.

Too bad he had no reason to lie. A confirmed harmless truth was harmless, so might as well release it.

"I'm finding that goal hard to believe." The upperclassman cleared her throat. "I don't know… Wasn't your dream to be a Harem King or something?"

"Hey! Even _I_ am allowed to have more than one dream, alright!?" Issei took a mouthful of water in and drank it down. "If you can dream big, then go all-out and claim all the stars in the sky as yours! What's the difference, anyway?"

"The degrees of difficulty, _duh_." Fuu remarked with a thousand-yard stare. "One dream is already hard enough, two or three or Shinju-sama forbids – _four_ – would be suicidal for a human."

"Then, I'm excluded because I'm _not_ a human."

"Not really. A third of you is _still_ human enough so you _are_ a human, dear junior of mine."

 _Damn she got me there,_ Issei thought as he started to grind his teeth. _Now what can I do to counter—_

"U-Umm!" Just when he was about to speak up, Itsuki took the initiative away and drew his attention. "I, well, umm… I… I think, I'd rather…"

The green-eyed girl inhaled and patted her chest. It was then Issei noticed that her hand… no, her entire body was quivering.

Even so, that all vanished as Itsuki closed her eyes for a moment. Once she reopened them…

"I… I'd rather become myself," the girl said. "I want to have… confidence in myself, as who I am."

Everyone was… Issei and Fuu, they did not know what to say now. They exchanged glances but only confusion existed in their eyes. Fuu even looked as if she had forgotten to breathe, and she stared back at Itsuki while whispering something nobody could catch. Perhaps her sister's name.

However, because they were silent, Itsuki continued on.

"I'm… glad." The girl with short blonde hair looked down on the table, a small smile surfacing. "I've been thinking about it, and I… I know what I want to do now. Thank you, Hyoudou-senpai."

The girl didn't end her sentence while stuttering.

Issei recalled that more often than not, Itsuki would speak with uncertainty dripping in 'I think' or 'I guess'. She rarely voiced out her opinion when it came to perspective, and for her to drone on despite the topic having no relation with her hobbies meant…

Did that mean she had found her reason? So soon?

"…Will you be alright, Itsuki-chan?" Issei asked.

Inubouzaki Itsuki stilled. She opened her lips yet words did not come out. Even so, she took a deep breath in, nodded her chin before lifting it up. The girl met his gaze with bright eyes of determination.

"I will," Itsuki said. "I will definitely pass the test."

And so… Issei turned a brief look at his senior. She replied in the same manner, and the two nodded to each other.

"Go for it, then." Issei smiled. "Let's give everyone a pleasant surprise."

"No matter what, we'll always be there with you, Itsuki." Fuu added, mirroring his expression.

"Un! Thank you, Onee-chan! Hyoudou-senpai!"


	33. Interlude - Inubouzaki Itsuki

How long has it been since that day?

Two years ago, a terrible storm approached Shikoku. It all happened so abrupt that she thought it was a dream, but the complete obliteration of the _Ohashi_ made it clear to everyone it was a disaster like no other. There was no way people could forget when the bridge snapped, the steel and concrete twisted while every single structure of the bridge collapsed and sunk into the sea.

Her parents did not return home ever since that day.

The girl did not know much about that turbulent time, but she remembered she couldn't leave her bed without recalling nightmares. She had hoped that it was all just a bad dream but it wasn't, and she couldn't accept the truth. Unlike her sister, she could only cry in her sleep and yearned for the precious past happiness she once had.

 _…I'm a coward._

"Itsuki, are you awake?" A voice slipped in from outside her room. "Get changed and wash your face. Breakfast's ready."

Groaning, the girl muttered a barely heard 'okay' from her bed. As she left the cradle of her warm blanket, she looked back and caught the sunlight peeking through the curtains. Itsuki yawned, even as she lolled her head. _I want to sleep again…_

Only after she looked at the calendar did her mind fully awaken. It wasn't sudden, but she slowly became aware of her surroundings, the upcoming classes today, and the singing test.

"…Today…" Itsuki inhaled, her breathing growing quieter. "…Today… is it?"

Craning her head, her gaze swept over the dark room. Her tarot deck rested on the table, and the bookshelves were half full with novels and her personal favorites. As the curtains covering the windows were brought into her sight, Itsuki slowly pulled them to the side, letting the bright glow of the morning basking her room.

The winds brushed her face when she opened the windows. It was nice and comfortable.

Still, it brought the past to mind, and Itsuki looked up at a white cloud hanging in the blue sky above. She didn't forget what she had just said. She can do it. She will definitely pass the test, but…

"…My reason…" The girl whispered as if wondering. "…Do I… even have a reason?"

Itsuki did not know. She wasn't sure. However, she understood one thing.

 _Everyone has a reason for doing something, even Hyoudou-senpai._

"Then…" Itsuki looked back at the door as her ears picked up the familiar humming of her sister whenever she cooked breakfast. "…Have I been… fighting and staying in the club, because I just want to follow Onee-chan…?"

No matter how long she waited for an answer, it never came to her. She pursed her lips, tasting the bitterness in her mouth. She wished to know, even if for a little. She wanted to understand herself and find what she wanted.

Morning passed but the answer did not appear.

Itsuki couldn't exactly remember what the teacher was saying. She took a few notes here and there but when she heard the bells ringing, she realized that she had only recorded a quarter of the materials written on the blackboard.

Her blunder simply made her nervousness to skyrocket. She was even teased by her classmates for scrambling around just to borrow a complete note of the latest lesson.

"Inubouzaki-san, I think you should calm down for a bit…" Her classmate said with a soft smile. "Hm, speaking of which, it's still recess and Music Class is after this. Maybe you should go out and do something that can help relieve your tension?"

 _That's… a good idea,_ Itsuki thought. In all honesty, that might be the best advice she could follow and indeed, she should clear her mind. However, she rarely went out of the classroom during recess so she requested her classmate to accompany her.

The girl was worried if she was being forceful but her glasses-wearing friend's expression lit up. "Sure! I'd love to!"

With that settled, Itsuki chatted as they went to the cafeteria. Eating a heavy meal would be too much but a light snack and drink were something Itsuki wasn't against. At the cafeteria, as she wandered to the left and right in front of the vending machine…

"Hey! Stop right there, you bunch of degenerates!" A high-pitched yell boomed from the corridor, followed by a trio of male students stomping their way through as if their lives depended on it. "Get back here!"

"What kind of sane person would obey when the person saying that is swinging a broom!?" shouted an older boy with glasses.

"S-Stay away…! What I wanted to see isn't you!" shrieked another upperclassman whose hair was shaved clean but not like a monk.

"Why am I being dragged in too!?" Ah, it was _her_ upperclassman this time. "I'm innocent! I didn't even know the girls are still changing, dammit!"

"Shut up and take your punishment already…!" Oh, so even her other upperclassman was involved.

At any rate, the storm passed and Itsuki could feel the eyes of the cafeteria staffs as well as some students staring blankly at the corridor. Not too long after, Itsuki was sure she heard agonized dying screams echoing from somewhere and her shoulders jolted reflexively.

That reminded her of a B-rated horror movie she saw last summer…

"…Huh, the seniors are pretty hardcore," said her classmate as she sipped a can of grape juice. "Summer already started but they still have such undying energy… I'm jealous."

"…I'm not, sure if that is a good thing…" Itsuki knitted her eyebrows together as she showed an awkward smile. "Umm, should we go back?"

After confirming a nod of approval, Itsuki walked ahead. From afar, she saw a brunette huffing as she dragged three boys by the collars like oversized sacks of grain behind her. It didn't seem like the upperclassman was aware Itsuki was behind her, but she didn't mind that.

 _Recess will be over soon so I don't want to bother her too much…_

"Hmm?" Itsuki blinked as she noticed a pair of eyes settling on her. "What—"

Before she could say anything, the brown-haired boy being dragged across the floor grinned and raised a thumbs up. The girl blinked twice and after his figure vanished from sight, she blinked again in hope that she didn't see wrong. Was she imagining it?

…No, maybe that was the real deal. It was hard not to pay attention when it came to the Hero Club's resident dragon. His every action was too flashy for his own good…

"Inubouzaki-san?"

"Eh? Ahh… L-Let's go, Kiryuu-san."

"Okay…?"

Itsuki paced back to her classroom in a slightly faster gait. She was greeted by her classmates and she replied back in the same manner. Since Music Class was the next, everyone had to move to a different classroom.

As she took out her music score book, her focus was taken away when something fell from it. Itsuki kneeled down to recover it, but…

"Huh…?" Itsuki held a piece of folded paper in front of her. "What is this…?"

At the same time, the bells rang.

Everyone left the classroom with practiced movements. Meanwhile, the petite girl could only stand idly as she read what the paper contained.

"Inubouzaki-san? We should hurry!"

Itsuki stared at the paper… then she suddenly asked herself.

What was that ruckus about? Why did her senior gestured in her direction? Why was he grinning as if he knew something she didn't?

"…Pffht," Itsuki suppressed a laughter, folded back the piece of paper and inserted it into her book. "Alright… Let's go to the music room."

"Oh?" Her classmate raised an eyebrow. "Is that confidence I'm hearing? Looks like you've calmed down somewhat."

Itsuki, for the first time in a while – smiled broadly.

"What do you think?" She asked.

"Well, aren't you getting ahead of yourself?" The other girl chuckled as she pushed up her glasses. "I don't know what's going on, but did something good happen to you?"

Did it? Itsuki walked alongside the girl with braided hair and looked up to the ceiling.

"Maybe," said the blonde. "Maybe because there are so many reliable and kind people around me."

"Is that so? Sounds very reassuring."

"It really does, doesn't it?"

As she braced herself, Inubouzaki Itsuki recalled for a brief moment.

What was written on the piece of paper were just words. Even so, there was no way she could forget.

Not the straightforward cheering only Yuuna would give. Not the polite and clean sentences only Tougou could devise. Not the encouragement familiar only between her and Fuu. Not the short but passionate advice of Karin…

Not even the poor drawing only her awkward upperclassman would make when words failed him.

"The reason doesn't matter," Itsuki whispered as she closed her eyes. "As long as you work hard… There must be something you can find."


	34. Chapter 29 - Overcoming Adversity

The evening sun was blinding.

A man glanced up from the viewing spot overlooking the Ariake beach, and he sighed. He couldn't really come to love summer nowadays, and it wasn't because he got rejected during his highschool days. Ever since two years ago, he…

"Hyoudou-san?" The voice of his direct superior rang out like a bell. "Is something wrong?"

The man stared beyond the mask concealing his face, and he shook his head once he spotted the skinny limbs wrapped in bandages. The sunset gave an orange shade to the world, but it wasn't because he couldn't see really well that he didn't want to look at the bedridden child in front of him.

"There is…" Ichiro glanced at the other priests lining next to him. "…There is nothing wrong, Sonoko- _sama_."

No matter how much he hated this form of interaction, he could do nothing as long as the walls had ears and eyes. Ichiro clicked his tongue at that. _I picked the wrong time…_

"Is that so…?" Sonoko hummed as if in thought for a bit. "Well, please continue then. What else other than the change in the latest Oracle?"

 _Oh, that's my cue._ Ichiro raised his upper body from prostrating and set himself in a formal sitting posture.

"In accordance to the sudden change of the Oracle, the priests and priestesses have been mobilized to gather data from across the country," he started. "At the same time, Kyoto has been notified. It is decided that the role of overseeing all the 'guests' scattered throughout our land will be taken by their hands."

"Aaahh… Yes, I think I remembered them." Sonoko nodded. "Umm, isn't Kyoto the old capital? I think it was once called…"

"The Demon Capital, indeed." Ichiro supplemented, "Three hundred years ago, our ancestors requested their help and the previous leader of that town provided us data so that we are capable of producing Fairies. It is all because of their generosity that we are still capable of maintaining contact with the mainland."

However, Ichiro wasn't too privy with the tiny details.

He was still new to the job forced onto him. While he had interests in the dealings humanity had done for survival, he didn't like the implications hidden behind them, not to mention there was nothing important that could help his son by the longshot.

"I see… Nn, it's the Youkai Faction, isn't it?" Sonoko closed her eye and hummed. "Aside from that, what have you found?"

"Some parts of the Walls have been weakened," Ichiro replied. "It is nothing serious, but we suspect the arrival of our newest 'Guests' might have caused the damage. Concerning those… 'Guests', they are behaving quite well in the housing complex we have prepared for them. However…"

The man pursed his lips. Ichiro wished there was a guideline in wearing a poker face and to be completely honest, he didn't like acting all sketchy like some closet pervert. _As if a man bearing the Hyoudou's bloodline can act subtle!_

However, he couldn't be picky. He had to make a decision, and as much as he wanted to have a talk with the girl his prided son had fallen in love with, there was a proper time and place to do that.

"…There are chances that beside our newest 'Guests', unsavory intruders might have followed after the trails they left behind," Ichiro explained. "Miyoshi-kun predicted at minimum several middle-class magical beasts and Stray Devils who have infiltrated Shikoku."

"Mm, that sounds bad, alright…" The enshrined girl creased her eyebrows. "Hmm? Hyoudou-san, what did you mean by 'at minimum'…?"

 _…Ah, so she caught onto it._

Ichiro was wearing a mask to conceal his 'true self'. As a part of the organization protecting the Shinju, he was nothing more than a branch that could snap and be crushed without batting an eyelid. He was replaceable, and the same went to the other priests and priestesses.

However, there was an oath he must carry as a priest. That oath was to keep the Truth to himself, and that he _absolutely must not_ reveal it to the Heroes or even anyone else.

 _But,_ Ichiro rebuked internally. _As if I can accept that._

He had no reason to obey the laws imposed by a shady organization that forced him to join for a cause he had no interests in. He was here, working as a priest because he had a family to protect and a future he wanted to fight for. He had another dream after living for so long, thus he would do anything for that.

He could already _feel_ his back burning despite the winds blowing from the sea. He must have attracted attentions with his silence. It must not be a good thing for being such an upstart despite his age. Still, Ichiro held onto his ground and faced his trials without hesitation.

 _Watch me,_ the man thought as a fearless smile crept to his face. _I'll show you the length a parent can go to protect their children._

* * *

"Say, Issei..." As the sun dropped into the horizon, Fuu's voice rang in the club room. "Don't you know that giving hints might give away the magic of surprise attack?"

After school was over, everyone had waited for Itsuki expectantly. Issei was one of the few who couldn't stay still, but it turned out the worry was unneeded when Itsuki entered with a bright smile on her face

Everyone quickly cheered and left for the karaoke box to celebrate.

Still, Issei and Fuu were the last ones who had yet to leave the club room. His upperclassman then suddenly said something surprising and the boy blinked, staring at Fuu as if she had grown a second head.

"Uh..." Issei muttered as he directed an index finger to himself. "Is that supposed to be a scolding, senpai?"

" _Nnnooot_ really?" Fuu tilted her head. "I mean, okay, a part of me want to say you did a good job but the other part says you're spoiling Itsuki too much."

"...Uhh, the heck are you saying, senpai? If you're spoiling her as a sister, why can't I do the same?"

Fuu opened her lips, but no word came out.

She stood there opening and closing her mouth like a fish pulled out from its pond and then she ended up adopting a thinking pose.

"Well... Itsuki is my little sister. She's my family. Spoiling her is my privilege." Fuu leaned her back against the door. "But I'd like her to grow up so even if I stopped being by her side, I don't have to worry about her."

"Haa...? If you say it like that, I guess that's..." Issei perked up as he noticed something was off. "Huh? Fuu-senpai, why did you make it sound as if you're not going to be with Itsuki-chan forever?"

 _That's weird_ , he thought. _Isn't family always together through thick and thin?_

"...Issei..." Fuu creased her eyebrows together and she sighed. "While we are family now, Itsuki will grow up and have her own in the future. Plus, she has a dream to pursue, though I'm not sure what it is. As if I can follow her everywhere she goes, right?"

 _Ahhh... So that's it._ The boy gave a slow understanding nod. He supposed that it was his fault for being too vague. However, something nagged at the back of his mind when Fuu implied the marriage part. _Is this jealousy...?_

[...No comment on that.]

 _Gah! Why did you have to butt in like that!?_

[Who cares? Anyway...] Ddraig drawled. [I think both of you are misunderstanding something.]

"Eh? Seriously?" Issei wondered aloud, only to realize what he did when Fuu gave him a strange look. "Sorry! Ddraig just went and said something weird!"

"...You know, I honestly think you're making excuses or you have a loose screw sometimes, Issei."

"Are you saying I'm crazy!?"

"No, but others who know no better will probably think you are."

 _Is that for real!?_ Issei didn't know talking with the voice in his head equated the impression of a madman. _No, wait, normal people don't talk with a voice in their head, much less_ have _one…!_

The boy gasped and suddenly trekked down his memory lane in realization.

He recalled moments where he chatted with Ddraig. At the convenience store, in the park, while running around the town, when he took his time in the toilet, when he got bored at class, as he ate in the cafeteria, when he waited in line at the video games store, and… And…!

He had been making a fool of himself _in front of the public!_

" _Gaaaaaaaahhh!_ " Issei toppled to his knees, writhed and rolled around as he covered his boiling red face.

"Whoa!? Wait, Issei! Stop! What the heck's wrong with you!?"

"Kill me already…!"

"The hell are you suddenly talking about!? Snap out of it, you idiot!"

* * *

"I can't believe they actually grounded me… The bastards above sure are merciless."

Long after the daily report was done, Ichiro had returned back to his department in a corner of the Marugame Castle. He strode past a sliding door while throwing a fit and once he reached his office, he instantly threw his mask onto his work desk.

"I'm more surprised they hadn't fired you yet," said his co-worker. "You always ran your mouth off. This is Taisha, not your run-on-the-mill trade company, Hyoudou."

Ichiro rolled his eyes. He didn't need to be reminded of that; he already knew that Taisha wasn't even a company, but an honest-to-god government-approved religion cult.

He had heard from his father – may he indulge himself with a ton of beautiful angels in the heavens above – that the country wasn't one with big kinks to religions. Shinto had been the prominent one until the end of the second World War, and ever since then, religions faded away as time went by.

Probably, had the apocalypse not happened, the concept of Taisha wouldn't even be given a thought.

"Bah, whatever." Ichiro sat on his chair and faced the man who kept on typing on a keyboard across of him. "So what's the deal, Harunobu? Is there anything new about the Hero System?"

There was a short silence before a tired sigh blew it apart. The brown-haired young man in white hakama turned around his wheeled chair and met Ichiro's gaze with a glare.

"As much as I want to scrap it and rebuild it from scratches?" Harunobu tilted his head, the stone-cold gaze still not leaving from his face. "No, there's _absolutely_ _nothing_. This thing is a three hundred years-old relic, and _you_ of all people know that we understand jack squat about Shinju-sama's abilities."

"Right. Because various Land Gods worked together to pool their strength as one conglomerated entity."

Ichiro snorted. He questioned why couldn't those Land Gods go out there and fight the enemy by themselves. Gods were way superior if compared to miserable mortals like humans. Surely, they could do something about the threat the Vertexes represent, right?

However, it seemed his wording and gesture had pushed the wrong button.

"Hyoudou, keep your mouth _shut_ for a moment if you still value your life," Harunobu hissed. "I know you're impatient. Hell, _my_ _little sister_ is out there without even knowing the complete truth!"

The young man swung his arm and slammed his right fist onto the desk behind him. Ichiro noticed it shivering with veins popping out, and the man stared for long before he shook his head.

"I know… I know that too, Harunobu," Ichiro sighed. "This job is stressful, so take it easy."

"If you know, then why—"

"What is the commotion here?"

Both Ichiro and Harunobu turned their heads to the doorway and they saw a tall woman with light brown hair and glasses. She was a priestess, and Ichiro recognized the mask dangling under her chin possessed a different shape.

It was a mask meant to be worn only by the elites. The woman was a highly prestigious member with outstanding achievements on her belt.

 _Oh man, this is bad…_ "My, deepest apology… We are sorry for bothering you."

Even though he apologized, the woman glared at him. It was sharper than Harunobu's and he felt like backing away from the spot for some reasons.

Did she just lock onto him?

"Hyoudou-san, I've seen your reports," the woman suddenly said. "Don't skim the details. If you want to support the Heroes, then work like you meant it."

Ichiro winced. _Ayyup, this one is a Spartan…_

"As for you, Miyoshi-san." The co-worker tensed up upon being addressed. "…You did not tell unnecessary thing to Karin-sama, right?"

"…No, ma'am." Harunobu shook his head after he stilled for several moments. "I'm afraid there is… no reason for her to know."

As silence descended, Ichiro watched his superior's movements. Was she hesitating? Was she pondering about something? He wasn't a people person, and he had no habit like people watching, so he wouldn't know what kind of thing crossed the woman's mind.

However…

"…I see," the superior gave a slow nod. "Then keep that up. We cannot afford to break the people's expectations. The survival of mankind rests on the Heroes' shoulders. The Truth will just hurt them."

The brunette inhaled, and she took ahold of her mask.

However, even after she wore her mask and turned on her heels, Ichiro's gaze didn't leave her. It was as if he was judging her, and judging he did.

As the silence stretched for a second longer...

"…If you wish to protect them, then find another way that will not hurt them, or even yourself."

Then the woman left, merging in with the schools of priests and priestesses going about in the Marugame castle.

* * *

After all the unneeded hassle, Issei's upperclassman dragged him off to buy some juices.

Naturally, he wasn't allowed to skip on Itsuki's celebration. How could he, anyway? As if he would allow himself to ruin a young girl's happiness. Besides, he would be outright _killed_ by her older sister if he tried to be a stick in the ass.

 _The scary thing is that she can do just that, actually…_

"…Somehow, I felt like someone's badmouthing me." Ahead of him the older girl looked to the side with a hand on her chin. "Issei, you weren't talking behind my back, right?"

"N-Not at all! As if I'd do that!" _Craaaap, she can read my mind too!_

[No shit, Sherlock.]

 _Shut up, you flying lizard!_

"Well, I guess I'll believe you for now my junior," said Fuu as she stepped aside and opened the lid of her canned drink. "At any rate, let's resume the talk. It got cut off because you went on a rampage, so…"

Did she have to remind him again? Issei's shoulders sagged at the blatant lack of faith but he let it slide by nodding and walked to the vending machine. At least Fuu didn't talk about it to the others. That must mean something, right?

 _…Hmm, what should I pick?_ Issei's finger traced across the list. He eyed a carbonated drink with a strange brand that he was sure was not there the last time he was in this karaoke box. _Let's try this Oolong Cider Tea._

When he selected his choice, he thought there was a choked exasperation from behind him. Issei looked around only to find nothing noteworthy. In the corridor close to the bathrooms, only he and Fuu were there.

Was that just his imagination, then?

"Basically," started Fuu. "While helping her is fine and dandy, I don't want Itsuki to be overly dependent. It's bad for her education."

"…I guess that makes sense." Issei kneeled down once the vending machine made out a clunking sound. "You're saying that because a responsible adult won't have much trouble in life, right?"

Fuu nodded with a slight smile on her face. She leaned her back against the wall and closed an eye.

"Our line of duty won't give us much space for normalcy either," Fuu added. "We're protecting the world, but there are chances of us dying somewhere somehow. The only question is when, so…"

 _…The flow of conversation sure turned grim… Mh!?_

Not even a second had passed and Issei almost swore under his breath. The drink was plain _nasty_ , and he meant it. _What the hell is this, industrial waste…!?_

"No littering," Fuu scolded as if… wait, did she know? "Also, you should empty that thing in the restroom if you don't want it. Better than inconveniencing the store's folks."

Aww, she _knew_ and she did not even _warn_ him about the dangerous liquid toxin disguised as tea.

Issei shook his head and did as he was told to. Once he was done, he also disposed the empty container by tossing it into the bin for inorganic trash.

"...So... Senpai?"

Issei looked at Fuu. She stared down at her drink held in both of her hands. It was as if she was contemplating about something difficult.

"…Fuu-senpai?" Issei called out.

The blonde didn't respond immediately but when she did, she raised her head and delivered a fleeting smile at him.

"Sorry, there. Am I being too sentimental?" Fuu asked. "It doesn't suit me, right?"

"…Err, I don't think so…" Issei scratched his head. "I mean, nobody has the right to forbid you from feeling happy or sad, so…"

What was the best way to say it? That it was fine for someone to stay true to themselves? Laugh when you're happy and cry when you're sad?

Issei honestly had no clue about what he was doing, but he at least could tell that he was going somewhere with that line of thought. Indeed, that was his main principle in living and he knew that there was nothing wrong with being honest to yourself.

…Then again, his bluntness had bitten him back before but whatever. He asked for it in the first place, anyway.

"…I guess." The boy rubbed his neck. "I guess, it's fine if you want to kick back and relax when you need it, senpai."

Much to his expectation, the older girl's bitter smile persisted. His heart sank a little as Fuu closed her eyes.

"Even if you say that, I'm your leader," said she. "I have to take up the slacks in your stead, and I have to make sure nobody will die even if it's impossible. That's my duty and you know that as well, Issei."

"Yeah, but…"

"…You don't think I can bear the burden?"

 _…She got me there._

Issei inhaled. He really didn't like the direction the conversation was taking to, but he could understand why Fuu was talking about it again. She needed to blow some steam, but…

[The girl has her own pride to consider,] Ddraig finished in Issei's stead. [While it amounts to nothing, vainglory is something that can support you when you're all alone.]

 _…Does that mean you have it too, Ddraig?_

[Anyone who have tasted suffering while living will have it at some point.]

 _"_ …I see," Issei muttered under his breaths before lifting his head. "How about you, senpai?"

Fuu blinked. It was as if she was asking what he meant, and that might be it. That was why…

"Do you think I can't share your burden?" Issei asked. "I'm your friend, and I'm your underling. And I'm the only person who has heard your complaints so far. Isn't it fine for you to share your burdens with me?"

The boy extended his hand. The girl stared at the outstretched hand, and she met his gaze.

"Are you serious, Issei?" She asked.

"What do you think?" Issei shot back. "I don't think there's anything wrong with friends helping each other out, right?"

The girl stared long and hard at the boy. She didn't budge, and yet the boy kept on holding out his hand to her.

He didn't mind waiting. He was ready no matter what action the girl would take. He had hope – and it was granted in the form of a clear answer.

"…You sure know how to smooth talk your way with girls." Fuu's smile softened. "But I'd be damned if I were to fall for that. I still have a sister to take care of, and some other business to finish off."

Issei nodded. "Sure, let's go with that. I'll just keep on trying and hope that I will succeed next time."

 _But for now,_ he added with a broad grin decorating his face.

"I won't accept you refusing my help, senpai."

A short silence stretched before it was cut apart with a simple gesture.

Issei sensed the hand of his upperclassman. It was warm, and it had a soft texture. Despite that, there were clear signs of callouses that must have originated from doing various household chores and menial tasks. It wasn't a truly feminine hand for a girl like Fuu.

…Even so, he knew this feeling well.

"What a cheeky underling I have. Do I need to beat you up and have you call me 'Aneki' for once?"

What he held was the hand of a person who would do anything for the sake of her loved ones.

The hand of a friend who desired the same dream.

* * *

Far away from the town of Sanshu.

Standing atop the illuminated ruins of the Great Bridge, a man gazed at the sunset with an unreadable expression. Had anyone been nearby, they would have yelled at him to get down and if the people from Taisha were to see him out and about…

 _Well, like I give a damn about that._

The wind blew and the cacophony of crashing waves filled the air. The man licked his lips, sensing the scent of salt. He stayed still until the breezes died down, and he pursed his lips.

"It's time." Heracles looked beyond the sun dyed in red.

In the next instance a tower of light split the sky with a shattering glass noise. As the light faded, the land trembled and the fabric of reality _shifted_.

Pitch-black darkness filled the heavens.

Following after it, seven spectrum of color flooded from the edge of the Walls, replacing the known reality as time came to a sudden halt.

"Man, the barrier sure is handy here," the Champion said. "Sacred Gears naturally bypass barriers like this by giving out false-positive signals, but this country has an interesting mechanism to keep the public from knowing the truth."

Most likely, his minions were frozen in time like the civilians. Probably, only he alone was aware of the changes happening to this miniature garden.

"But the Gods here are way too passive, and the people in charge are way too stupid." Heracles raised his hand to the sky as a storm of flower petals approached him. "Still, it looks like there are some merits in acting like obedient pets. After all…"

The man crooked a smile.

"A way to 'save' the world – I found it, Cao Cao."


	35. Chapter 30 - Overcoming Adversity II

The moment Issei reopened his eyes, a forest of roots greeted him.

All around him, enormous tree roots and vines spread as far as his eyes could see. They replaced buildings and streets, and further covered the land. Beneath his shoes, he noted the texture of leaves painting the surface of the vine he was on and he tapped his heel against it.

"…Huh," Issei muttered before looking up. "Say, Ddraig. Why do I feel like there's something up with the air?"

He didn't know why, but his skin was itchy and he felt restless. The boy looked around him, and because his friends weren't in sight, something must have happened while he wasn't aware of it.

For all he knew, he might also have knocked himself out due to the Oolong Cider Tea. It wouldn't be strange if Gin were to appear at any moment, now.

[You're seriously taking it easy, aren't you…?] Ddraig huffed. [I guess your adaptability really is the reason of your continued survival.]

"Are you saying I wouldn't if I didn't have it?" Issei began to growl.

[Perhaps. But talents are garbage when not nurtured,] the dragon dodged the spike with utter grace and honed finesse. [Yours just need extraordinary effort and time to bud, and I doubt it's limitless.]

"Gee, sounds reassuring, alright…" Issei ran a hand over his messy brown hair. "So, is this a dream?"

[Try hitting your head against the nearest vine.]

 _It's a no huh,_ the boy concluded instead.. Ddraig was straightforward for most of the time and while he could be blunt and genre savvy, Issei appreciated that he wasn't being made fun of.

Still, that didn't mean the situation had changed. Issei recalled Fuu's words and he placed a hand over his chest, taking a deep breath in to calm his nerves.

 _It's alright,_ Issei reassured himself. _I can do this. No one is going to die under my watch._

No matter what kind of enemy they would face, everything would be alright. He had trained himself and the girls had the protection of the Fairies. The Shinju guaranteed his beloved friends' safety. He could put his trust in the Hero System gifted to them, so there was nothing to be worried about.

That was why the Final Battle would definitely end well.

"…Alright," said he with a nod. "Should we take the higher ground?"

[Better be safe than sorry.]

The boy smirked. "Then up we go!"

A flash of light coated his body. In the next instance, a red armor with a cape adorned his body and a pair of boosters expanded from the back. Boosted Gear started up and Issei's senses, strength, as well as mind sharpened by two times.

Unlike before, the boy hopped on the spot instead of taking flight with the boosters attached to his back.

The armor plates rattled. As Issei hopped for the third time, he looked down, squatted as gravity and his weight pulled him down – then he leaped.

"One! Two! Three!" Issei shouted as he scaled a teal vine with his hands and feet alone.

His clawed greaves and gauntlets functioned like a set of climbing tools. His greater strength allowed him to push upward, and he recalled the moves he practiced under Gin's and Heracles's instructions to the tiniest details.

"Man, _this_ is fun!" Issei laughed. "If I were a normal human, as if I could do things like this!"

[Don't get distracted,] warned his partner. [This Flash Step of yours is still too crude. Also, conserve your stamina.]

"Roger that!"

Issei measured his pace as he climbed. Soon he reached the top, but the last leap brought him too far up that he swirled in the air, his body helplessly spinning around.

As he enjoyed the brief moments where his body floated like a dandelion seed, he noticed a leafless tree glowing with rainbow-colored light at the corner of his vision.

"Shinju-sama, huh…" Issei muttered. "…Wait a minute, isn't the distance weird? Why is it farther than before?"

That didn't make sense. The karaoke box was still in Sanshu. Even though the town was situated at the corner of Kagawa, that didn't mean it was a large distance from the divine tree that embodied various Land Gods.

[That thing doesn't run on the same logic currently known by humanity,] Ddraig informed. [While it has taken root in the physical plane, that doesn't mean it can be seen, sensed, or even touched by normal humans. The likes of Gods don't care about cosmic laws even for a little bit.]

"…Sorry, the technical jargon escaped me. Dumb it down, please?"

The surface fast approached and Issei twisted his body so that his feet would land first.

[Basically, you don't need to think hard about it.]

 _Now, isn't that simple?_ Issei thanked his partner and activated his boosters. A small exertion of magical energy helped counteracting his descent and Issei floated for a moment before his feet touched the ground.

 _Perfect,_ the boy congratulated himself. He was glad he studied a bit about how airplanes worked. It might not be too useful but he could fly by using an equivalent of jetpack installed on his scale mail.

"…Hmm." The boy blinked, lifted his head and looked around. "The tingling-thing isn't going off."

[Keep on the lookout. The enemy might be nearby.]

He agreed and expanded his awareness. His perception as a part-dragon was abnormal, but he still needed to focus for anything happening outside of an average human's range of senses..

It was then his phone suddenly rang.

"Owah!?" Issei tilted to the side before he realized that he got a phone call. "Damn, I forgot to turn off this… Wait a second, since when did my phone work again?"

Unlike the Hero System terminals given to his friends, his phone was just a simple smartphone with standard features installed in it.

…Okay, he admitted that a few applications were used for his hobby but beside that, the phone had nothing extraordinary about it. _How is it still working here…?_

[Why not try answering the call first?]

Issei blinked and cocked an eyebrow. He looked at his current appearance only to realize that there was no way he could do that normally. He heaved since he didn't know how to pick up his phone when he was wearing gauntlets that had sharp edges enough to tear his pants apart with just a small nudge.

 _If I deactivated Boosted Gear right here and now, then there will be a Reset..._

"Ugh, why is this happening now of all times…?" Issei whined after he fished his phone with extreme effort and ridiculous patience which thankfully didn't harm his clothing too much. "...Hello?"

 _"Hey hey~ Sonocchi Delivery Express, at your service~!"_

"…Errm…" Issei looked around and sighed in relief that his friends weren't there to eavesdrop that. "I, uh, hi there, Sonoko-chan…? What's wrong?"

 _"Mhm. Well,"_ Sonoko paused as if searching for the appropriate words to use, which would be strange if it were truly like that. _"I thought that since it's the Final Battle, I have to tell you this, Han-kun."_

Issei's left fingers twitched and he looked down at it for a bit.

"…Sure… But if you can, please keep it short." Issei turned his head to the left and right as his eyes narrowed. "…I'm not sure how long the connection will last, and… Wait, how is my phone connected to yours?"

He heard a giggle that sounded like ringing bells.

 _"That's because I asked your father to upgrade your phone, Han-kun."_

"Huh!? What did you say…!?"

 _"Oh, and he told me something_ very _important earlier,"_ Sonoko said. _"So I thought it's better to relay the information to you. Han-kun, you're in the Jukai, right?"_

Issei nodded even though he wasn't even facing Sonoko. He didn't know why but he had an inkling about it. It was because when he heard her voice through the phone…

 _Somehow,_ he thought as he scratched his face. _It feels like she's right by my side._

Did that mean he missed her? Even though only a day had passed ever since they last met each other? If that was the truth, then he still crushed on Sonoko hard, and probably even _harder_ than before.

"Agh. This is embarrassing…" Issei murmured under his breaths. "This isn't the time for that…"

 _"Hmm?"_ Sonoko muttered. _"Well, there's nothing to be embarrassed about, Han-kun. More importantly…"_

More importantly?! Issei didn't expect his issue to be sidelined just like that but he complied anyway, no time to waste and he had to find the others.

 _"For this occasion, you see,"_ Sonoko explained. _"Shinju-sama has decided to isolate not only the Vertexes, but also other things that have trespassed into Shikoku."_

"Huh…?"

Other things? Issei processed the words and soon he realized why there was something off with the world around him. _Don't tell me 'trespassers' mean—_

[Partner,] Ddraig called out. [Heads up. They already caught you in sight.]

Issei stared dead ahead.

Even when he heard Sonoko's voice, he gazed at the Walls that stood beyond the inland sea of Seto. He didn't deign any response until—

"…I see," Issei whispered. "I think I get it, Sonoko-chan."

 _"Huh…?"_

"Don't worry. It's going to be alright." The boy smiled. "I'll call you again once this is all over, okay?"

As soon as he finished saying his part, Issei disconnected the call and put back his phone in his pocket.

[You sure you didn'tneed to say anything else?] Ddraig asked.

Issei laughed. "Well, I can't promise her anything, you know? I don't want to trigger any Death Flags and I'm still way too weak to even consider a perfect victory."

[Sounds pessimistic.]

"Call that being realistic." Issei cracked his knuckles. "Now, let's see what you've got…!"

* * *

When Fuu couldn't find her junior despite feeling the warmth of his hand a second earlier, she thought that something must have happened.

And something certainly happened. The scenery changed, everything that she once knew replaced with a familiar forest of colorful trees with a dark starless dome encasing the roof of the world. Her light green eyes noticed the figures of her friends and sister not too far ahead of her but it was one person short.

"What the hell?" Fuu glanced around, hoping that nothing went wrong.

But betraying her expectation was a pillar of flame followed by a series of explosions miles away from her position.

"Huh?!" She blinked, catching a green line of light tracing its way from the topmost layer of the Jukai that flew toward the sky. "Wh-What… What's going on over there!?"

Ignoring her, random explosions shook the land and blasted the tranquil atmosphere of the Jukai.

If she strained her hearing, she could hear clashing metal and loud impacts coming straight from the region consumed by chaos, but they were faint and it was hard to pinpoint _where_ or even _what_ the source was.

 _Wait, hold up,_ the girl's thoughts came to a sudden halt. _If that's what I think it is, then…!_

"Fuu-senpai!" Then she heard her red-headed junior's voice and she met her brilliant red gaze approaching as white and light pink outfit blossomed over her uniform. "H-Huh? Fuu-senpai, where is…?"

Since Yuuna was approaching her, Fuu could see the Walls lining up far behind her. As the girls took the initiative to regroup with her, the club leader idly thought how nice that she had become a signpost like a proper leader would.

However...

Fuu's eyes widened and she clicked her tongue. "No time for that! Everyone, we're heading into combat!"

The girl ignored the collective muttering of 'Huh!?' and took out her terminal. With a swipe and the Hero System turned on. Fuu immediately sensed _power_ liberated from her entire being.

Light burst forth, her uniform replaced with white leotard draped by yellow panel dress and long white sleeves. Her long, wavy blonde hair was tied into braids with two golden bands holding them in place.

Her Fairy came into existence as fast as it disappeared into flower petals. What followed was the summoning of a great sword into her hands and Fuu swung it to the side.

"The Vertexes are here," Fuu shouted, counted the numbers with her eyes and grunted. "Looks like the Four Heavenly Kings are ready to throw down with us!"

"Onee-chan, that's way too obscure for trivia!"

 _Eyy, that doesn't matter right now!_

"We're going to deal with the Vertexes first!" Fuu announced, "I'm quite sure Issei is already out there fighting so we'll finish this up in a flash and back him up before he does something stupid again!"

 _And I swear I'm going to give him hours-long scolding for this!_

* * *

Issei whipped his head to the left and dodged a blast of purple light mere inches away from piercing through the space between his eyes.

He raised his right arm and swung a fist. The attack connected with the face of a manticore, crushing the nose and shattering the skull. Warm red bodily fluid sprayed over his red gauntlet.

He didn't allow any chance for counterattack to reach him.

Issei's boosters ignited and his momentum multiplied, the added force smashing the fifth Stray away like a tennis ball struck by a full-powered swing of a racket.

However, his back was now wide open and a tall man with the lower body of a bull latched on him, lifting him off the ground as three pale-skinned men and women with monstrous bat wings leaped toward Issei from the front.

"Damn… you!" Issei stomped the man-bull thing right in the groin and threw him off with a blast of his boosters. " _Raaaaaaaahhh!_ "

The fight was unfair.

There were around twenty three enemies in total, but Issei had wasted three enhancements to kill five of them.

He had given no care about what he had defeated when they wanted him deader than dead meat, and he still wanted to live oh-so-very-much that not even the sight of a nude female gorgon could enamor him.

 _Like I care about some monster girls that I don't like,_ Issei thought as his left hook caved in the chest of a winged guy and barreled him onto two of his allies. _I already have women that I love, dammit!_

There was no way he would act so stupid when his life was on the line.

Sure he could have 'a little' fun but there was an appropriate time and occasion for that. He hadn't given even _one_ Vertex a beating and he was sure as hell their abominable presences had emerged _somewhere_ in the Jukai.

[Also, right after they appeared, these Strays got very excited.] Ddraig reported, [They have their priorities straight, at least. If you're kept busy here, then those girls won't get any help. Divide and Conquer tactic, what a handful bunch.]

"Yeah? So what?!" Issei yelled as he retreated and charged magical energy in his left hand. "Go! Dragon Shot!"

A green sphere of condensed magical energy popped up in front of his fist before he smashed a punch into it.

What followed was a beam of destruction that razed the landscape and devoured five Strays.

The amount of enemies had dwindled down to less than half but…

[Partner, there are more approaching from…] Ddraig stilled. [Shit! Dodge!]

Issei didn't even question the panicked voice in his head. He threw himself to the side and suddenly a large fireball smashed the place he was at.

Freezing chills ran down his spine. Issei looked behind him – and there they were.

Three colossal beings, their forms defying common sense and going against the natural laws of the world. They all appeared without warning or even invitation.

Their presences were imposing. They made no sound as they approached like balloons pushed by a gentle breeze, and only when their shadows covered Issei did they let loose bestial _shrieks_ that pierced his eardrums.

His bones rattled. Issei's teeth chattered as his eyes widened, but he gulped down and clenched his fists.

"Heh...!" Issei inhaled as he forced a wide grin. "So that's it…? Target the weakest link of the chain? Is that your aim all along?"

He recalled the past.

Sonoko had told him what she knew about Vertexes. At the very least, what she thought she knew. Since the Vertexes were named after star constellations, then it wouldn't be weird if the remaining ones resembled them in some way, right?

Because of that, it became easier to identify the first two Vertexes this time.

One of them had a skeletal body. It reminded Issei of a gigantic scale with a white ball filling the center of its cross-like appearance. He surmised it as the Vertex representing the Libra constellation.

Next to it was a blue _thing_ that looked like a chandelier. It had a crystalline body paired with two huge spheres of water by its sides. Since it had relations with water, it must be a representation of the Aquarius constellation.

However, the last one was strange.

"What…" Issei gaped as the thing stood like a giant mountain. "What… the hell…?"

The shiver that ran down his body didn't stop.

Or rather, the boy couldn't stop trembling at the mere sight of the last Vertex. Something inside him screamed at him, telling him to flee. It wasn't Ddraig, he noticed, and soon he realized what was paralyzing his body.

It was _Fear of Death._

[Fucking hell…!] Ddraig cursed as his voice shook Issei's mind from being encased by absolute terror. [Partner, run away and find the others! You can't handle these guys alone, especially _that_ _thing_ behind the Aquarius and Libra!]

What did that mean? What was Ddraig talking about?

Before Issei's mind could reboot itself, the last Vertex had its spiked rusted golden ring glow – and the gate of hell appeared before him.

Issei saw _something_ squirming from within the hell of lava and boiling flame. In a blink, the _thing_ started to multiplied by hundreds - no - tens of thousands of times; shrieking out to the world as if proclaiming their advent.

Issei turned his back to the Vertexes as the _things_ leaped out from the curtain of fire.

With horrible screeches that hurt his mind, those fireballs flew in random direction before locking on to him. They were fast, faster than an eagle diving down from the sky and they pursued the host of the Boosted Gear with reckless abandon.

"What…!?" Issei ignited his boosters and accelerated but those fireballs moved as if they had their own wills. "What the fuck!? What the hell are these things!?"

[Destroy those Stardust, partner!]

 _Stardusts!?_ Issei didn't know what that term meant but it was true that the target-seeking balls of flame were huge and looked corporeal enough to physically be touched.

That meant they could be destroyed, just like what Ddraig said!

"…Got it, Ddraig!" Issei flew straight up to the sky at breakneck speed before turning off his boosters. "Eat this!"

He turned around just as the balls of flame converged in one spot. A green sphere of energy appeared right below Issei and he punched it downward.

A green ray poured down, erasing the gigantic Vertex's horde of fireballs with one shot.

But suddenly – as if the sun loomed above him, dark shadow was cast over him and Issei whipped his head up.

What was above him was a miniaturized sun. A small star that breathed out tongues of flame and covered with blazing plasma descended upon him as if the sky was falling.

In the span of a few seconds the boy realized something important.

The fireball attack was just a trick. The Strays were a distraction so that he couldn't look far above his head. Issei had gotten over his head and ignored how different the terrain had changed once the Jukai flourished, because _not even the light of the sun should have existed_ in this time-locked world.

The Vertexes were waiting for him to move like they wanted, just so that the miniature sun could be dropped on him without fail.

The Vertexes were capable of using _advanced battle tactics_ , but it was too late for him to know as the star engulfed Issei.


	36. Chapter 31 - Overcoming Adversity III

Nogi Sonoko dreamed of the past.

Because she could no longer leave her bed, much less walk around on her own two feet, she had stopped going to school and was sheltered in a dull life that repeated itself over and over again. That was why she often recalled the past and relived the brighter days she could no longer participate in.

"Sonoko, are you still awake?" A man in a suit asked, in his right hand a white mask was slowly placed down on a low table close to her bed.

The girl smiled at the presence of her guests. "Un. I don't want to sleep so early tonight, _otou-san._ _Okaa-san._ "

"Because you are waiting for your friend?"

"Yes. Tonight, we're supposed to meet again so I'm waiting for him."

"…I see. Then let's pray to Shinju-sama that he will be back soon. I've been wondering what kind of person this Hyoudou-boy is."

 _Well… did I just I throw a hurdle at Han-kun?_

Sonoko loved her family, so she did not mind them visiting her. What she had done was a noble thing as befitting one of the Nogi bloodline, her father always said with a brittle smile. Her mother, however, always broke down when she squeezed her hand.

She would always spill tears as she apologized to Sonoko for some reasons.

Sonoko could only smile and thought how much she was loved by her parents. She told them that it was fine, that it was worth the suffering she had to go through, and that she was glad she could still see them again even in her current state.

Even so…

Even so, the girl thought how lonesome her life had become now that she could no longer meet her dearest friends.

"…The Final Battle…" Sonoko looked up to the dark sky above, reflected upon her uncovered eye were fireworks from the past that erased the darkness with beautiful colorful lights and loud sounds. "…Han-kun, you shouldn't have hung up on a maiden when she hasn't finished talking to you…"

She wanted to tell him many things. Words like 'Be careful', 'Good luck', 'I will be waiting', even 'Come back safely'…

Sonoko was sure their bonds could grow deeper if she could convey those words to him. She didn't become a best-selling young novelist for nothing. She knew which words could encourage spirits and help developing relationships, but…

"…Maybe, this is the right thing." The bedridden girl laughed. "I wouldn't want Han-kun to trip a Death Flag or even be suspicious…"

Because she could foresee what the future entailed. Because she knew what the 'Final Battle' meant for her, to the girls who had yet to know the truth, and to the boy who would have no choice but to endure no matter what happened. Because her _chance_ would surely appear once the battle was over.

 _Aah, this is bad,_ Sonoko thought as she closed her one eye. _I want to see you…_

Sonoko had prepared herself. Soon, Taisha would definitely grow restless. She could tell that they were running out of options if Hyoudou Ichiro's outburst reached the ears of the higher-ranked members.

Sonoko's parents had decided to support her decisions, so they were fine. However, she wasn't sure to what length would the rest of Taisha go to. She was… worried, yes, but she knew that was useless with the leash on her neck. She had to be careful, otherwise…

"Okaa-san," the sole daughter of the Nogi family called out. "…Can I rest a little? Please tell me if Han-kun is here…"

She hoped they would comply with her decision.

"That's fine." Her mother breathed out and smiled as her father patted Sonoko's head. "We will always be by your side, sweetheart."

The girl's smile softened, and she sighed as tension slowly left her shoulders.

"Un… Good night," Sonoko said. "I love you, Otou-san. Okaa-san…"

"We love you too, Sonoko…"

With that, the girl drifted into a slumber blanketed with warmth. She was happy for that. She was glad that she could enjoy this warmth even though her heart had long stopped beating.

However, Sonoko reflected on her thoughts.

 _All that I want right now,_ she traced her memories that were as clear as the cloudless sky. _What I want is to be with my friends, that wish still hasn't changed; it has never changed._

She missed her friends. She missed her carefree but kind best friend who went ahead by herself. She wanted to talk with her best friend who swore the same promise as she did. She wanted Gin and Sumi to be by her side again.

 _But,_ a thought and an image of a boy flashed in her mind. _Ever since he appeared…_

Even though they still barely knew each other.

Even though they had already talked to each other about their favorite foods two days ago.

Even though it was impossible for her to return to her previous lifestyle…

A tear slipped from her lone left eye and lined down her cheek. "…I want to meet you…"

For once, the girl stopped looking back to her past and begged for the hopelessly hopeful future to arrive.

* * *

A loud roar akin to a hundred bombs detonating all at once filled the sky.

Heat, light and shockwaves spread across the Jukai as a vacuum followed after the collapse of a miniature star that suddenly appeared in less than a minute.

The topmost layer of vines right beneath it crumbled apart with pieces of them sucked in by the hole in the sky. At the same time, violent winds blew across the place where the sphere of molten lava once formed, crushing and tearing apart the debris until nothing remained.

Fuu stared with wide at the unbelievable scene. She soon realized _where_ the explosion happened and her complexion turned pale. _It can't be…!?_

"Fuu-senpai!" Before she could utter any word, she heard her junior's voice and noticed a charging monster that vaguely resembled a ram.

In an instance the blonde leaped over the Aries Vertex to avoid it, but as she remembered what had distracted her, she couldn't help but to roar and activated Inugami's Blessing.

The great sword in her hands suddenly multiplied in size and the blade lengthened to the point where it could easily cut apart a building in a single stroke.

"Get out of the way!" Fuu shouted as her sword descended upon the Aries Vertex like a gigantic guillotine.

The blade struck the head first. Sparks scattered and the solid resistance she felt through her arms made her wince. _This thing's head isn't the weak point!_

But she wouldn't let that stop her. If the initial swing didn't work, then she simply hadn't put enough effort in it!

Fuu exerted all of her strength as she roared, and the sword slowly sank into the head of the Aries.

"Not… yet!"

The girl rotated her entire body in midair. With the added momentum, her great sword carved deeper into the Vertex's body and ripped it apart in halves.

There was a sound akin to a ringing bell coming from below her and she looked at the flower crest on the ground.

"Alright!" Fuu flipped over once again before she landed on an arching vine. "Commence Sealing Ritual!"

At her command, a white diagram expanded beneath the Aries. As yellow flower petals stormed out from the outer rim of the hex, Fuu felt her strength dwindling down but she ignored the dizziness and observed the enemy's movement.

Despite having been sliced apart, the Aries's lower body twitched and raised its tube-like body part. An orb attached to the back end split into several pieces, revealing a reversed pyramid decorated with intricate black lines.

 _There it is!_ "Tougou! Do it!"

In a split second, a ray of blue light traveled through the sky and pierced the exposed Mitama. As the sound of gunfire followed after it, the core of the monster burst into flames from the inside, smoke and embers spewing out before the thing shattered into pieces.

Wisps of light were released from within the core. They ascended to the dark heavens until they faded away, and Fuu wondered what those things were.

Regardless. Without them, the body of the Vertex crumbled into pure white sand, the diagram vanished and Fuu looked ahead, her smartphone emerging from thin air as she raised and opened her left hand.

"How many are left?" Fuu asked once it was connected with her friend.

 _"Two more to go,"_ said the cool-headed sniper of the team. _"Currently, Itsuki-chan and Karin are finishing up the Sealing Ritual for Gemini. Yuuna-chan is chasing after Pisces, but considering its erratic movement and ability…"_

Fuu nodded. "Go assist her, Tougou."

 _"…I'm sorry, Fuu-senpai,"_ Tougou inhaled. _"Please… help that boy."_

There was no need for more words. Everyone understood what their roles entailed, and the plan they had cooked up before they confronted the four Vertexes. Fuu disconnected the call with that. She let her Fairy put back her terminal, and she turned her head to the west.

The blonde immediately leapt up.

She crossed through the windless sky and hopped from vine to vine, taking the shortest path to reach her destination. But she sensed danger and dived into the layers of vines.

Something passed over her head. It was like a giant needle of light that reminded her of the Sagittarius Vertex's arrow, but it was so much slower and thinner in terms of density. When Fuu looked forward, she saw more approaching but she swatted them aside with her great sword.

"The hell…?" The girl spotted shadowy creatures that didn't look terribly inorganic but still weird-looking. "What are those things—"

Before she could finish her sentence, she saw a shadow flitted from the corner of her vision and she turned her gaze only to see a three-headed, four-legged beast leaping at her with razor sharp claws aiming straight to her face.

It was too close! She couldn't dodge in midair and her weapon wouldn't make it in time!

"Shi—"

"Don't you fucking touch her, you bastard!"

A red blur smashed into the creature's side like a diving eagle. Fuu heard cracking bones and a loud boom right as the monster was blasted through a vine. But the surprise didn't stop yet.

"That voice," Fuu gasped. "Isse—"

The red blur landed behind her before it flew past her. Not even Fuu, with her enhanced senses, could catch it in her sight as the figure rocketed straight toward a group of roaring monsters.

What happened next could only be classified as a brutal beating.

Something that could only be seen as a mass of black tentacles had the majority of its body blown off as the red speck impacted it. Following after that, several creatures that reminded Fuu of humans but with wings attached to their backs were erased by a ray of green light.

One after another, the death throes of the unidentifiable foes faded as quickly as they appeared.

There was truly nothing left for Fuu to do. She landed on the battlefield, seeing at least a dozen dead bodies and dark stains of dried blood. There was a smell of rust and burnt plastic but something was _wrong_ with them.

"Issei…?" When she called out, the boy in red armor tilted backward and fell. "Issei!? Hey! Are you alright—"

She caught him in time, but…

"Ah…" From the cracked visor and damaged headgear, she saw one reptilian eye reflecting her shocked face. "…Is… Is that you… Senpai…?"

The boy's voice was faint and fatigued. A lump was stuck in Fuu's throat as she wondered what in the bloody hell had happened which caused such a drastic change in her junior.

When Fuu looked down, it turned out the red armor covering his body was barely hanging on, with many damaged parts exposing various wounds. From lacerations to second-degree burns, the boy's body was battered to an extent that Fuu almost reeled back in horror.

 _How,_ the girl asked only to realize she couldn't utter the question out of her tied tongue. _How is he still fighting in this state?_

"Issei, you…" Fuu's grips tightened, stilled, and then trembled. "…You fool…"

Even though she didn't question him, she had a strong hunch about why her junior was in such a mess.

The miniaturized star. The sudden appearances of three Vertexes that didn't go to the Shinju despite not participating in the battle against the Heroes, and in addition those weird creatures that radiated a sense of _wrongness_ no matter what kind of reasoning Fuu tried to use.

 _So the target has been Issei all along…!?_

She couldn't believe it. The Heroes were the protectors of the Shinju. The ultimate goal of the Vertexes were supposed to be the death of the world. Despite that, the enemies prioritized themselves in killing an outsider that had no relation with the War that was currently waged.

They had chosen to ignore their natural enemies and hunt down a boy who should have never been there in the first place.

"What the hell…?" Fuu muttered through clenched teeth. "What the hell is wrong with them…!?"

It was ridiculous. It was unfair. It was not right.

Then suddenly – a strong pressure washed over her.

Fuu looked up, seeing three figures of monstrous abominations that were born from the Virus that ended the Old Era. The hateful enemies descended as if they desiring to impose the final judgment.

Looking down on humans like that. Having no face and probably not even a heart to understand humanity…

"Why…?" Fuu brought out her great sword and stood up, Issei still held tight against her chest. "Why can't you all just leave us alone already…?!"

The Vertexes didn't respond with words.

Fuu retreated as hundreds of blue spheres barraged the flat vine. At the same time, she felt her speed falling and wind pulling her long twin braids forward.

Despite that, she continued to retreat as the enemies screeched as if mocking her and her resolve.

"Stay away!" Fuu raised her great sword and threw it at the thing with a spiked ring behind its back. "Ghh…!"

As she burned the appearance of her enemies in her memories, Fuu turned her back against them and carried her friend in her arms.

Fuu' shuddered and suddenly something exploded above her.

It hit her right away. The Vertex threw something, probably an explosive at her. Whatever it was, no way was it just a normal attack, and her guess was proven true as the vine next to her burst in a fiery explosion.

Everywhere she went to, the Vertex's barrage of explosives followed right behind her.

"Damn… it…!" Fuu cursed as Inugami flew from one spot to another to protect her.

Even so, the shockwaves, heat and sound still hurt her. She knew that her Fairy's blessings had limits, since she could still feel the attacks. _It hurts, it burns, but…_

There was no way she could give in. Issei had done his very best despite fighting all alone. There was no way she would fail here.

As if she would fail repaying what the Vertexes had done to her junior…!

"Hang in there, Issei…!" Fuu breathed out and sped up. "It'll all be over soon, so hang in there!"

 _As long as I'm still breathing, no one is allowed to die here!_

* * *

 _…Where am I…?_

He found it hard to describe what he was feeling. Was he standing? Was he lying on his back? Which way was up and which was down? He… couldn't tell.

Issei didn't like that, so he tried to open his eye – only to be overwhelmed by violent colors and burning pain all over his body.

"Agh…" He groaned, feeling restless and wondering what had happened to him.

[Don't try to do anything,] a voice told him, familiar but gruff. [You're in no condition to move after overexerting yourself like that, partner. Unless you still have a death wish, that is.]

…Partner…? As soon as Issei processed that word, memories resurfaced like pieces of a puzzle falling into places.

 _I remember,_ the boy thought as he felt his mouth souring from the fact. _I… I lost, didn't I…?_

[If you can call defeating a horde of monsters at the level of average middle-class Devils on top of living through a meticulous trap laid out by the leader of those thrice-damned Harvesting Tools?] Ddraig sneered. [Your value isn't only decided by yourself, but also by others, partner. I say you've done a very good job as the weakest bearer of Boosted Gear.]

…Huh, so he did something worthwhile at last…

Issei would have smiled if he could, but his body was so sore, even smiling took effort and his throat felt like a raging desert in the middle of dry season. Maybe Ddraig was right. _I'm beat…_

[Don't rest just yet,] Ddraig suddenly chided him. [While it's fine to stay calm, you're still not out of danger. Not you or even those young priestesses.]

 _…Excuse me?_

[The battle is still not over yet,] his partner said. [There are three… no, four Vertexes left, and sixteen more Strays roaming around the barrier. What's more, the latter are stronger than the things you just exterminated.]

 _That's… bad._

[Yeah, but you're with your comrades. It could have been worse like you getting killed by them.]

…Why would that be a problem? Issei could understand the logic of reduction of firepower and morale support, but he was the weakest among his friends. Even if he fell in battle, the girls still had the most values in the team.

[…Yes, that might be correct, but…] Ddraig sighed, [Should those things extract your Sacred Gear and me, there'd be nothing left to stop them from ending the world completely.]

" _…What?!_ " Issei snapped open his eyes and raised his upper body despite the damage he had taken. "Gah!? Aaargh…!"

And naturally, that earned him the pain and agony he deserved.

"Issei-san!? What are you doing!?" A familiar voice reached his ears. Turning his head, he caught sight of Tougou's frantic expression. "Please stop moving or your wounds will reopen again!"

Reopen? Again…? Issei couldn't help but ask what she meant and his classmate nodded.

"Your wounds… When Fuu-senpai brought you in, they had begun to heal," Tougou explained as her hand reached to his back and shoulder, most likely to support him. "…Even so, some parts were slow to heal while the others suddenly reopened as if something inside of you were rejecting the regeneration."

Her voice went low and quiet at the end of it. Issei, however, couldn't think of why so he searched the answer by looking both at himself and the surroundings… and he found it.

While his uniform was mostly intact, Boosted Gear was deactivated which exposed parts of his body that were burned and wounded. Scars crisscrossed his midsection and sides, his right arm was peppered with pink skins and dark bruises, and once again Issei felt disparity of quality in the world he saw.

"…Ah…" Issei raised his still human-looking arm to cover the right side of his face. "…So the magic stopped working. Looks like that attack was too much, huh?"

He wanted to laugh. Why was he always _this_ slow when it came to understanding others? It might not matter to _him_ , but what about the others? He should have understood that he was _no longer a human._

"…Damn it…" Issei growled and tried to stand up – only to be placed back in place. "Agh! T-Tougou-san…? Why are you – _oww!?_ "

"Stop. Moving." Tougou glared at him from the side as her lips formed a thin line. "I may not know what you are thinking right now, but fighting any more than this is tantamount to suicide."

"B-But…! I have to help the others—"

"And what can you contribute in that state?"

…That was… That was a good point.

Issei had to admit that he felt extraordinarily tired and his body was not in a condition that could allow him to move strenuously. He was… incapacitated, to say the least.

"Please don't make everyone more worried than this," Tougou reprimanded. "I know that this is the Final Battle, but do you think you are allowed to throw your life away because the situation demands it?"

The girl shook her head in disagreement. In fact, there were signs of distaste in her voice as if she loathed the thought of sacrificing something for the greater good.

That was why Issei stilled, and that was why he chose to listen to her.

"…I… Sorry, Tougou-san…" He rubbed his head and bobbed his head a little. "I was just… Sorry."

"…So you can tell that making up excuses won't help your cause." Tougou breathed out as she closed her eyes. "I as well. I'm sorry for my harsh words. I have to tell that to you, and…"

 _…And…?_ Issei frowned at the sudden silence.

What came next was a pillar of flame from miles ahead.

The boy raised his chin, his eyes widening as four gigantic creatures gathered in formation while four smaller figures danced around a storm of floating fireballs that obstructed them from reaching their enemies.

"…Everyone is still fighting," Tougou said from beside him. "It has been like this for the last ten minutes. The Vertexes aren't letting up and probably, their aim still hasn't changed at all."

"Their… aim…?" Issei asked and the girl nodded.

"You, Issei-san." Tougou stared ahead even as Issei nearly choked at that implication. "But there's no need to worry. We will protect you. We won't allow anyone die in this battle, not even…"

Tougou craned down her chin as her gaze narrowed like a sharpened blade.

In the next moment Issei felt a shiver climbing up his spine. He turned his head to the left but before he could see what was there, the barrel of an odd-looking blue pistol whipped by his side.

A gunfire was heard alongside the pained grunt of a black-winged woman. Blood sprayed, the foul scent of burned plastic permeated for a moment. And then, the Fallen Angel crumpled in place as it died and vanished into particles of light.

"There are still more." Tougou slowly stood up after leaving Issei's side, four cloths tensing to support her body while the girl wielded one more firearm that looked the same as what her left hand held. "Issei-san, may I ask what they are? They appear to be not human since they faded away when I killed one of them."

"Eh!? Ah, err… that is," Issei fumbled for a simple summary. "Those are Strays. Umm, I think they are monsters."

"Of man-eating variant?"

Issei knitted his eyebrows together. He wasn't sure what to say to that question, but considering the myths and folktales about monsters the country possessed…

[They aren't exactly man-eaters,] Ddraig supplied. [But some can certainly eat humans like Youkai would. Just call them deranged monsters that cannot be reasoned with. They have bad reputations and they're known to see the lives of lesser beings as worthless compared to their own.]

…Well, that explained a bunch of things and resolved a lot of issues Issei had with killing living creatures.

"Yeah," the boy said with a nod. "Something like that. They're like Youkai but the ones attacking us aren't civilized enough to talk with."

"I see." Tougou twirled her pistols as they ejected empty bullet casings.

The girl fired her firearms to her left and right side. Not even a second passed by and two death throes echoed, but Tougou already reloaded her guns and aimed them forward.

"No one shall pass this line," she said as she shot a winged nine-feet tall Minotaur at the eyes, throat, shoulders, and knees. "I won't allow you to hurt my friends!"

* * *

As another battle started, the battlefield changed and advanced.

"Tch…! Just die already!" Fuu yelled as she cleaved a limb off a Vertex that resembled a chunk of moss-covered landmass.

Her older sister was fighting unlike herself. In fact, Itsuki was certain that she had never seen Fuu raise her voice like that, but she understood why when she saw the specks of red stain on the Hero outfit.

Her frustration resonated to her, and possibly to the others as well.

She saw her upperclassmen jumping around to evade a barrage of spheres of water and fire, with Yuuna using the vines as cover sometimes while Karin nimbly closed in on the Aquarius Vertex.

"Too slow!" The newest member of Hero Club cut apart one of the two water containers the monster possessed.

She threw her swords at the main body. A swift chain of explosions shattered the crystalline body and the Vertex's last water supply suddenly stopped floating. The immense body of water poured down and drenched the vines with darker shades of color.

It was as if it had lost the magic that kept it attached to Vertex.

"Yuuna!" Karin shouted.

"Leave it to me!" Yuuna replied and swung her right arm to the side. "Beginning the Sealing Ritual!"

A white diagram expanded beneath the Aquarius Vertex. The monster stopped moving at once but in exchange, the surface of the vines beneath it blackened and burned despite there being no fire in the vicinity.

No, Itsuki was wrong. The vines' surfaces peeled away into ashes. Little-by-little, the Jukai was being harmed and that was a bad sign. Something might be happening in the reality the barrier was based from, and if left alone—

"Found it!" Karin kicked off the ground and flew straight to the core of the Vertex sparkling within its jar-like body. "Get out of this town alre—"

Her words were cut short as a torrent of wind assailed the area. Itsuki yelped as she was about to be swept off her feet and she looked at the enemy possessing a scale-like body.

It was spinning around as the chains linking it to geometrical objects were swung around. In less than a minute, it had become the eye of a vortex that forced the Heroes to stay on the ground by any means necessary.

"Itsuki!" Fuu grabbed her by the shoulder and pulled her in as they used Fuu's great sword that was embedded into a vine as an anchor to hold on. "Hang in there!"

"U-Unn…! Thank you, Onee-chan." Itsuki breathed in. "But the enemies…!"

"I don't think they can use ranged attacks with…" Fuu's eyes turned into dots as realization dawned on Itsuki and her. "It can't be…!"

It was too late.

Suddenly a miniaturized sun formed in front of the two. The largest Vertex was nowhere in sight but the wounded Taurus moved and faded once it entered the newborn star. _Oh no…!_

The girl raised her right arm yet the green threads she pulled out were shaken off by the rampaging winds. "Kh…!?"

The futile attempt allowed the vortex to strengthen and on the side of the battlefield, Yuuna's focus slipped.

The Sealing Ritual required not an ounce of interruption. It was a delicate process which relied upon the divine energy a Hero possessed, and everyone had already been exhausted after a series of battles before fighting against the remaining Vertexes.

The Aquarius was freed from imprisonment and flew into the colossal sphere of flame that had grown twice in size. Itsuki's blood ran cold but the last Vertex – the Libra retreated as it continued to obstruct everyone from reaching it or even its allies.

"Ah…" Someone said as the winds died down and the Vertex faded into the red sun.

From that point on, the nightmare began.


	37. Chapter 32 - Overcoming Adversity IV

A Hero must not falter.

Yuuna was a Hero. She understood the weight of her duty perfectly well and believed that even if things seemed hopeless, she was certain it will be fine in the end. Her body could still move, her spirit was still unbroken, and her feelings had yet to change.

That was why, exactly because she knew all too well about herself that she faced the combined monstrosity born from her failure without a change of expression.

Maybe she simply didn't notice. Maybe she could have done something before the situation escalated to this point. Maybe looking at the mirror might have allowed her to change her opinion, but it wasn't the time or even place to do that.

"Girls!" Fuu called out. "Retreat! We don't know what the thing is—"

Yuuna's eyes widened as they reflected a chain of torches lighting up around the ring behind the Vertex.

Before she knew it her body had moved and she leaped back as a rain of fire poured down.

Karin followed right after her but her speed was greater than Yuuna. She should have outpaced her by now but those flame bullets chased after her and closed in at a moment's notice.

"They're even faster than before!?" Karin gasped and turned around to cut through three bullets with wild abandon.

However, everyone's strength had already dwindled. Even Yuuna was feeling fatigued after the prolonged battle, and Karin was the first victim to be engulfed by the flame arrows.

"Karin-chan!" Yuuna cried out.

She heard cries and screams. She looked to her other friends and she saw them struggling to escape spheres of water and blasts of compressed winds.

Itsuki was the second one to be hit by the wind bullet. Her body crashed against a vine and bounced off it as swarms of water spheres made their ways toward her.

An unrestrained roar came from Fuu as she jumped and shielded her little sister from the barrage of attacks. Both of the Inubouzaki siblings were consumed by the detonation of the water spheres.

"Itsuki-chan! Fuu-senpai!"

Yuuna had to help them. She had to fight and protect them, but…

When she realized, she was the only one left. Her limbs were tired. Some parts of her mind wished she could sleep.

As the towering figure of the Vertex stood before her, something moved from behind it and Yuuna crossed her arms to shield her face and chest.

Gyuuki flashed into existence at the same time as a bladed appendage pierced through the sound barrier. The Fairy barrier protected Yuuna just in time, but the shockwave passed through and she was easily blown away by it.

Yuuna's head and right arm hit the vines first. Something cracked within her, and her back smashed into a vine that stopped her for good.

"Kah…" The girl coughed out a red liquid.

All she could see with her hazy consciousness was a blurry mess. Where was she? What had happened? Her head throbbed in pain and she could only recognize vague figures in the distance.

There, floating and moving away as if having no interest in checking whether or not its enemies had died for good. The Vertex moved as if… It was as if …

"…No…" Yuuna murmured, and she clenched her still feeling hand. "Can't… go… Don't go there…"

 _You can't go there,_ the girl thought as images of a girl and a boy flashed in her mind. _I won't allow you, I can't allow you to hurt them._

Her right arm was numb, while Yuuna couldn't feel her fingers moving at all.

Still the girl rose to her knees and stood up.

Her eyes couldn't see very well. Her eyelids felt so heavy that it would probably be better for her to close them and sink into a deep slumber.

Still the girl walked forward, even though she couldn't maintain her balance.

Words of defeat were being whispered in the back of her mind. It might be better to let it go. It would be easier for her, right? There was nothing wrong with knowing her limits, right?

The girl came to a halt, her long ponytail fluttered in the wind.

The Vertex stopped moving and turned around. A cold shiver ran down her back as if the monster was 'looking' at her. Before the monstrous abomination and before she could muster the strength to move any further…

A curtain of fire scattered and rained down upon Yuuna.

* * *

Monsters.

Tougou had never thought she would be conducting a Youkai Extermination while doing her duty. It certainly was a new experience and there was a different feeling in fighting against true monstrosities that somehow made more sense than the Vertexes ever could.

Her guns danced, reloading and bursting flowers of light from the muzzles as her eyes tracked her next target.

It seemed her weapons were effective against the Strays. Issei said that he needed to land half a dozen blows to incapacitate one with the size thrice bigger than a minibus, but Tougou discovered no difference whatsoever.

 _Probably,_ Tougou assessed her surroundings before dismissing the pistols and summoning her sniper rifle. _A Hero's weapon possesses an exorcising attribute._

The Shinju granted chosen children with the power to protect the world. As a Hero, that meant Tougou carried a part of the Shinju's enormous power within her and it was expressed through the Hero System.

"In that case…" Tougou hardened the cloths supporting her body and fired at a shadow lurking deep within the entangled vines. "Shinju-sama's divine power must be a lethal poison for these monsters."

It made sense, and the argument held some water better than a deadly Virus that evolved so much it became an eldritch abomination.

However, something was strange.

If Strays were weak against Shinju's divinity… How could the Vertexes withstand, even _regenerate_ themselves back to their original form despite being monsters as well?

As Tougou took in air to calm her nerves, one of her Fairies suddenly appeared and brought up her terminal. _Huh…?_

"What is," Tougou stopped speaking midway through and whipped her head to a certain direction. "The Vertex is approaching…?"

Why? What had happened? What was going on? _Could it be…!?_

In the next moment, the Shinju glowed and wisps of light throughout the Jukai congregated to one place.

A sound akin to shattering glass resounded. Tougou sucked in air as her eyes captured a blooming cherry blossom flower in the starless sky. A name crossed her mind.

"Yuuna… chan…?"

* * *

What did he just see?

He didn't know, so Issei searched for a way to describe it. With a hand holding his injured right arm, the boy stood up and focused on his vision, relying on the draconic sense he had acquired after sacrificing most of his humanity.

He didn't know why everything went quiet for a moment. Something must have happened, but then something else happened and he was drawn by the scene unfolding in front of him.

"That's…" Issei looked up as flower petals floated down. "Yuuna-chan…?"

An illusion of a flower bloomed in the dark heaven. Light and warmth basked his body, reinvigorating him as he unknowingly took steps toward the source of the mirage.

Clad in white dress painted with shades of light pink, a girl slowly opened her eyes, her dazzling red eyes reflecting a brighter coloration and light. Her ponytail fluttered in the breezes, the dress resembling a heavily-customized kimono with versatility and style heavily taken in account for swayed as a pair of enormous weapons moved behind her.

His breaths stolen away, the boy trembled, looked down and then raised his head.

"…Ddraig," Issei called out. "Do you think I can still do something?"

[What do you think?] The dragon shot back. [I'm in no position to do anything. It's all up to you, so just make sure you won't regret what you choose.]

 _I see,_ the boy thought with a nod. _That makes sense, I guess._

[Well, maybe you should brace yourself since that gunslinger isn't going to take your decision as anything other than a flimsy excuse.]

"Agh. That's… yeah. I'll be ready for _seppuku_ when the time comes."

[Good. You can't play around with women or even their feelings, after all.]

The dragon sure sounded as if he was reminiscing about a distant memory… Was this a form of escapism too? Issei tilted his head but decided that enough was enough and slapped both of his cheeks.

Issei sharpened his gaze as a flash of red enveloped his body. "We're going to win this, together with everyone."

* * *

What happened?

Yuuna felt power coursing throughout her being. It was overflowing and her heart raced as warmth enveloped her. She realized her right arm could be used again and she raised it slightly above her chest.

What followed was something enormous coming into view. A limb was there, but not hers. It was made up from bands of hollow rings with a giant hand made from some kind of metallic material encased by pinkish white armor.

Yuuna instinctively knew that the thing was her weapon. It would move as she wanted it. What did this mean? Something within her whispered the answer and she lifted her chin, removing her gaze away from the armor decorating her body and the white kimono that fluttered alongside her hair.

"…This is… Mankai." Yuuna clenched her hand as the gigantic limb mimicked her action like a mechanical arm.

The white cow Fairy appeared from the left corner of her vision. Gyuuki floated, her four wings flapped with a look as if it was ready for battle.

Mankai was a power given to the Heroes in dire moments The accumulation of battle experience was relayed to the Shinju which hosted a tremendous amount of conceptual records from the Old Era. From that place, the Shinju would draw the necessary strength that could assist the Heroes in battles.

In other words, Mankai was the Trump Card among all Trump Cards.

"…Alright." Yuuna looked ahead at the last Vertex. "Let's go, Gyuuki!"

As soon as she said the word and moved her legs, the world distorted in Yuuna's eyes. In seconds she crossed through the distance as something akin to bursting air cracked behind her, and she reached the Vertex in a flash as it turned around to face her.

 _Slow,_ Yuuna realized as the bladed appendage behind the monster flew toward her. _I can see it!_

Swinging her right arm from below, her gigantic fist broke the bladed appendage with an uppercut. The sharp stinger was crushed into pieces, the appendage torn apart and Yuuna dived in as the Vertex started firing spheres of flame and water.

The girl avoided the barrage as if they were nothing. Her movement was sharper, cleaner, and quicker than before that Yuuna couldn't believe she had been fighting a series of battles beforehand.

With her newfound power, she could fight against her enemy on an even field. _No, I can defeat it!_

If so… there is only one path she could take.

"Hero…!" Yuuna pulled her right arm in and formed a knuckle. "Puuuuunnccch!"

The blow struck the Vertex – and most of its body vanished within an enormous explosion that scattered a storm of light pink flower petals.

The wind ripped apart, and the Jukai shook as the mighty blow created an aftershock strong enough to disturb the calm sea surrounding the island of Shikoku. Waves crashed and broke apart as petals of cherry blossom flowers danced around Yuuna.

"One more time!" The girl pulled her left arm in and clenched her hand.

At the same time, the Vertex howled. The magnitude of its 'voice' made Yuuna falter but she continued to build up her strength and flew toward the retreating monster.

She was too fast for the Vertex. She was much stronger than the enemy who had caused so much sufferings to her friends. And so…

"Yaaaaaaaahhh!"

As she yelled, Yuuna's fist connected with a curtain of fire that suddenly expanded before the Vertex. Its sudden appearance surprised her, but she refused to accept defeat and pressed on.

Something cracked. Where was it? What was that sound? Did it come from her, or did it come from her enemy? Had she reached her limits already?

 _…And what of it!?_

The now pink-haired girl exerted all of her strength. An overflowing well of power resided within her body right now, so no matter what happened, she could fight indefinitely to ensure the safety of her beloved ones. _If one time isn't enough, then…!_

"Hero Club's Tenet number two…!" Yuuna pounded a second hit and the curtain of fire began to shed a tiny crack. "Try not… to give up…!"

At the third hit, the cracks expanded but it wasn't nearly enough as something struck Yuuna from the back and left side.

Gyuuki appeared close to her, shielding her from rings of fire and smoke that clouded her vision. The girl understood what that meant but continued to look of her.

"Hero Club's Tenet number five…!" Yuuna smashed the curtain for the fourth and fifth time, the cracks covering most of the wall that blocked her from striking her enemy. "You're likely to succeed…!"

Swinging her left arm, the armored fist flew in.

"If you try!"

The wall of flame shattered into tiny shards. Beyond it, the Vertex had regenerated most of its body but the opportunity had finally arrived for Yuuna.

However, she heard a roaring flame and saw flickering shadows. In front of her, the Vertex was sending out lumps of fire upward. What was it doing?

The girl looked up – and she met the glare of a falling star made from molten lava.

Her eyes widened. She knew that attack well. That was what had hurt her friend. She had to evade, but the extent of damages it had done meant if she _did_ avoid it, the Jukai would be severely damaged and more casualties might appear.

 _What should I do—_

A yellow blur flashed and struck the falling star. An enormous sword tore the air, producing winds as it halted the descent of the solar sphere with its wide body. Yuuna recognized the person wielding such weapon but to stop the strongest attack of the Vertex could only mean…!

"Don't stop moving, Yuuna!" Fuu yelled as her great sword gradually pushed the burning sphere and cut it apart in halves.

At the same time, green threads filled the sky and rained down on the giant abomination.

The Vertex was restricted in place by the glowing green threads. Thousands of them reached out from the forest of trees, taking roots by wrapping themselves around the vines as they chained the Vertex over and over.

Yuuna looked back as she found the figure of her underclassman – clad in white and green dress as threads extended out from a golden ring that hovered behind her.

"Yuuna-san!" Itsuki's voice traveled across the land as the enemy was sliced and diced that only a small part of it was left floating in the air. "Do it! Defeat that thing!"

It took only a moment for her to decide. Yuuna gathered her strength in her fist and dashed forward.

"Don't leave me out of this!" Then from below, a diagram for the Sealing Ritual appeared as a girl clad in red looked up while kneeling at one knee. "Get going, Yuuna!"

Flower petals shrouded the Vertex. As the Corrosion began, the form of a gigantic reversed pyramid emerged far above the imprisoned Vertex.

Yuuna lost the chance to breathe. The Mitama manifested in full view, but… It was _overwhelming_.

The sheer size. The scale of the thing was downright massive, probably scaling all the way to a few thousand meters. The tetrahedron-shaped soul of the Vertex floated high above the sky but if it were to fall, then the island of Shikoku would be _devastated_.

The worst thing was that it was floating so high up that Yuuna could safely say it was right on the orbit, maybe somewhere around the altitude a satellite would be placed at.

"Are you kidding me…?" Fuu muttered. "What the hell are we supposed to do against something like that…!?"

What had to be done? What were they supposed to do? What could they do against something as ridiculous as that? Yuuna looked up, and…

"It's still a Mitama," she said. "The shape isn't different and it can't be anything more than the one from before."

"But it's way too high to reach!" Fuu shouted.

"Then we'll find a way to reach it! I'm sure there must be something—"

"Maybe I can help with that?"

Yuuna and Fuu stilled, and both of them turned around to meet the smile of a boy in red armor and a cape.

"Yo," Issei greeted with a wave. "Don't just exclude me without a reason. I'm still here, right?"

"I-Ise-senpai…!? No, wait, but your wounds…!"

The boy shrugged. "I'll bear with it. But more importantly – we still have a soul to crush and time's running out."

He looked at Fuu and bowed his head a little. Fuu blinked, but otherwise looked away with a sigh and a scowl.

"Alright, fine. What are we going to do?" The blonde asked after scratching her head. "None of us are equipped with something like a mass driver, Issei. And your boosters must have a limit of usage, too."

As the boy hummed in thought, he put a hand on his chin and closed his eyes.

"…There's still one way left." Issei's smile turned apologetic somehow. "But it's a little reckless. Want to hear it?"

* * *

"I swear, you're insane and I've gone insane too for agreeing with this." Fuu exhaled a long one and raised her enlarged great sword to the side. "I'm not taking any responsibility if anything happened, alright?"

"Yeah, well, it's not a risky plan otherwise."

Issei beamed and his senior glared at him as if trying to burn him into ashes. However, she decided to stop chitchatting and readied a stance.

"Are both of you ready for this, then?"

Issei glanced at his friend. Yuuna nodded, her hand clasping Issei's and he nodded in confirmation. Fuu took that as the cue and raised her sword.

"RraaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAHHH!"

And then she swung her sword with all of her strength toward Issei and Yuuna. The flat side of the blade fast approached, but the two rushed forward at it only to spin in midair and landed their feet on the sword.

Fuu grunted, but she didn't stop swinging. Issei felt the winds becoming a wall, jarring a few parts inside of him because of the pressure bearing down on him. Even so, he endured as he kept a clear view of the sky that was obstructed by the Mitama.

In the next moment, both he and Yuuna were launched straight to the sky.

"Ise-senpai!" Yuuna shouted.

"Got it! Don't let go of my hand, Yuuna-chan!"

He activated the keyword and Boosted Gear strengthened his body. He felt the rest of his stamina greatly depleting, almost hitting rock-bottom, yet he couldn't stop there. _If I can't make it in time, then…!_

"Ddraig!"

[I'm all set! Say the words, partner!]

The boy grinned and inhaled.

"Shine – _Overboost!_ "

* * *

Red flooded her vision.

The hand she held became rough and scaly like touching the scales of a lizard. Even so, Yuuna found warmth in the touch and she captured the image of her friend whose armor transformed to cover his entire body.

The boy's image was soon replaced with an image of a small humanoid dragon. The armor he donned was bulky, possessing so many sharp edges and held an imposing impression that Yuuna couldn't help but be a little scared of what lurked beneath the green eye glaring from the headgear.

 _But it's fine,_ she thought, reassuring herself no matter how much she feared for the future. _It's fine to be afraid. Just… don't let him go, no matter what._

She was painfully aware of the boy's decision. Even as the two reached the Mitama, her thoughts swirled around and she wondered if she could have done something that could have prevented this.

However, Yuuna realized that she couldn't do everything on her own.

"…There it is," said her friend. "I only have one shot left. The rest is up to you, Yuuna-chan."

"Un…" The girl nodded, sweeping aside her idle thoughts and focused on the task at hands. "I… Thank you, Ise-senpai."

 _For so many things._ There might have been nothing she could do to repay the boy's kindness, but Yuuna could at least try to help even if it amounted so little for him.

For some reasons, however, Issei laughed unabashedly. _Why is he laughing…?_

"Yuuna-chan."

"…Yes?"

"I'm glad that I met you."

 _…Huh?_ Yuuna blinked, her mouth agape but Issei already let her hand go and rocketed straight toward the Mitama.

"Ah…!?" The girl yelped as she felt something passed over and shrouded her body. "What is…"

Something was different. Something had changed. She felt as if her stamina was replenished and she could take on the world by her own. A sense of liberation breathed into her chest, filling her with pure, unblemished _power_.

 _It can't be,_ she thought. _This is Ise-senpai's doing…?_

How? Why? Since when? But, if he could help by empowering her, then…

"I won't let it go to waste!"

Gravity began pulling her in but her friend moved even faster than she ever could. She was literally beaten in terms of speed by Issei, and a red aura suddenly burst out from his body.

Before the two, the black lines decorating the titanic tetrahedron glowed. An instance passed and it _moved_ as if reacting upon the approaching Hero and Dragon.

What followed first was the sudden removal of parts of the materials making up the Mitama. The reversed pyramid launched smaller cubes, each of them fired at the speed of sound toward Yuuna and Issei.

However, the barrage of attacks was crushed by the boy. When the cubes touched his aura, they dissolved into tiny particles that were further erased into nothingness.

Hyoudou Issei roared as he plunged into the Mitama.

Destruction spread across the flat surface of the tetrahedron. Dirt and wind ascended as pillars of chaos ravaged the surface area of the core of the Vertex. However, the damage wasn't enough as swarms of cubes flew and showered the place the boy was at.

It was overwhelming him. There was no way Issei could endure against millions of bullets-

 _"Yuuna-chan, don't stop moving!"_

Yuuna blinked before a few rays of blue light crossed the heaven.

Once, twice, thrice… The beams seared through the cubes and disrupted the flow of the Mitama's attacks. Yuuna knew those azure lights. They were all bullets shot by one of her best friends and fellow Hero.

 _"It's okay,"_ Tougou's voice rang in her ears once more after a near-transparent screen peeked out from the corner of her vision. _"Everyone will return alive, so please…!"_

Another ray of light blasted the cubes that endlessly attacked the red dragon as he tore into the tetrahedron with his bare hands. At the same time, she saw green vines of light reaching and cutting down any fallen cubes that might hit the surface.

 _"Defeat that Vertex...!"_

Explosions scattered, chunks of debris spread alongside rolling chunks of dirt. The noise was unbearable and it was difficult to recognize whether Yuuna's arms were trembling due to the shockwave or because of her uncertainty.

Within the unrecognizable mess that was her target, however, she spotted a gaping pitch-black maw and immediately steeled herself.

"Leave it to me, Tougou-san!"

Without hesitation, the girl dived down like a meteor. She tried her very best to ignore the battered form of the boy clad in red armor, or even the small cubes that began to rain down upon the surface of Shikoku.

She gave her friends her trust and she reached the Mitama as fast as she could. With the additional boost in her speed, she flew into the dark path forged for her. Nothing opposed her way. The Mitama had redirected all of its attention to different targets and she soon arrived at what appeared to be a wall drawn with black lines.

 _So it still has some tricks under its sleeves…!_ Yuuna gritted her teeth. The cacophony of battle echoed from right behind her, but she acknowledged her duty and did what she had to—

"OooooooooOOOOOHHHH!"

Swinging her arms, the armored mechanical fists struck and pulverized the wall blocking her way. But there were still more so Yuuna repeated the process by punching her way through, again and again and again.

Not even once did she take a break. The girl hammered a path forward with her fists as the Mitama cracked and crumbled from within. Every layer of protection was demolished, every wall was smashed through no matter how hard they were.

Regardless of the increasing pain and the throbbing of her wounds, Yuuna continued to press on. She felt as if time had stood still and a part of her wondered how many walls she needed to break through.

Even so…

"Aaaaaaaaaahhh!"

Even so, she held on to hope and struck the darkness for one last time.

Glowing cracks emerged alongside sounds of destruction. Yuuna's eyes widened as the darkness crumbled and gave ways to a hollow space with a glowing sphere floating in the middle of it.

That was it. She reached her destination. She had reached the innermost of the Mitama, and she was sure that the source that made her friends to suffer was right before her eyes.

 _The town, the people who live in this land, everyone's daily lives and the world's future…!_

"We will…!" Yuuna raised her right arm and swung her fist. "Protect them, allllllllllllll!"

The Mitama shattered – and everything turned _white._


	38. Interlude - Inubouzaki Fuu

"With that, Inubouzaki-san," the doctor in white lab coat tilted his head as he wrote a medicine prescription for both the girl and her younger sister. "Rest well, exercise regularly, and eat a proper diet. Udon might be our nation's treasure but eating too much of it will break your stomach."

"Understood…" Fuu made a sound that was halfway between resignation and whining.

It had been several days after the Final Battle.

The bright sun shone through the windows lining up at the hallway. Fuu exited the clinic with a bland white medical eye patch on her left eye. Bandages constricted her arms and muscle relaxants wrapped around her joints. It annoyed her but she thought she deserved them.

 _…I guess cutting apart a mini-sun and throwing two people to the atmosphere with a gigantic sword is truly a form of insanity…_

As she went back to the waiting lounge, she found her sister waving at her from the couch. Surrounding a knee-high table were four girls and most of them were wearing hospital robes. With the exception of Tougou who was cheerfully serving tea to everyone, almost all members of the Hero Club were admitted to the hospital after the battle.

 _Thankfully, Taisha took measures and paid for the bill,_ Fuu thought. _Otherwise, there's no way my secret savings will last…_

She felt complicated at that. She understood the idea of taking up responsibility as a proper leader, but in the end, she had nothing to support the claim. It made the blonde frown for a moment in front of her friends and family.

 _There's no way I can tell them this,_ Fuu concluded with a sigh escaping her throat. She sat down next to Itsuki and accepted a cup of tea from Tougou.

"…Hmm? Wait a second…" Fuu glanced at the teacup and back to the wheelchair-bound girl. "Is it even alright to bring homemade things into a hospital?"

"I got permission." Tougou's smile was way too wide at this point.

The elder Inubouzaki sibling breathed out a long sigh. It looked like she had to follow her own example if she got worried about trivial stuff like tea; she needed to calm down and relax.

"Well, I guess that minus one, everyone's here." Fuu sipped her tea and spoke, "While I would like to start a celebration party, it will have to wait until everyone has fully recovered. So…"

She pointed at herself.

"Allow me to explain what Taisha told me," the blonde started. "Mankai is a Trump Card, and we basically borrowed Shinju-sama's power to strengthen ourselves. But apparently, it seems that caused some sorts of complication."

"First time I've heard of that." Karin remarked with a teacup in her hands.

"I just got the message this morning," Fuu explained. "Currently, Taisha is looking into it but they don't believe it to be a permanent thing."

"...Believe… is it?" Tougou exhaled. "So not even Taisha knows everything…"

Fuu could only give an apologetic smile to the concerned friend. She shared the sentiment, to tell the truth, but the Vertexes had been a difficult threat which surpassed anyone's expectations. Though it might not be a comforting thought, this complication was another unprecedented thing in the list.

"…Mh? So that means…" Meanwhile, the resident redhead raised an eyebrow after she devoured a botamochi like a hamster would. "Is that why Fuu-senpai is wearing an eye patch?"

"Why does that sound as if I'm wearing something as restricting as _this thing_ because it's funny...?"

Fuu tapped the rim of her eye patch and Yuuna laughed at the gesture like a broken cassette. Sitting beside her, Karin snapped a rice cracker with her teeth.

"Sounds fitting," she said in-between crunching sounds. "Definitely something someone like _Fuu_ would do, actually."

"What do you mean by that, _oy!?_ "

Unfortunately, Karin did the smart thing by dodging the issue with finesse. It sure didn't fit her hotheaded personality, but maybe Fuu was wrong in judging her so one-sidedly like that.

 _Yeah, maybe that's it._ "Uh, so… Itsuki, what about you? Are you okay?"

Her little sister perked up and brought out a binder filled with A4 sized paper. She took out a black marker and wrote two words horizontally.

 _'I'm okay.'_

"…I see. That's good to hear." Fuu petted her little sister despite Itsuki fidgeting and trying to push her hand aside. "Well, it's only temporary so I think we'll just have to bear with it. Taisha even guaranteed there will be no longer any attack. The battle is over and that means… let's enjoy summer vacation!"

Everyone cheered. Not even a minute passed and they began discussing about the club's plan for the upcoming summer vacation. Ideas were thrown around, arguments and jokes flew about, and a series of laughter followed.

Later on, they were scolded for being too noisy by a nurse tending on a patient next door.

* * *

 _After all that, I ended up taking a really long nap…_

Fuu couldn't believe it but she guessed she was still tired. Not even a week had passed and all the battles she had fought felt so unreal. From the hospital bed she was in, she looked to the bed across of hers and found Itsuki curled up in fetal position while a novel laid open next to her.

"Ah, geez… Here I thought she'd stop bringing them everywhere she goes…" Fuu left her bed and tidied the books away so that they wouldn't be damaged or even caused inconvenience to her younger sister. "Also, Itsuki, you need to fix your sleeping position already."

With that, the elder Inubouzaki sibling pulled a blanket up to Itsuki's shoulders. The girl was still sleeping soundly despite having her position changed but, well… That was fine, too.

"…The war is over, and now we're back to our everyday lives…" Fuu glanced at the smartphone on the cupboard sitting next to the bed. "…Even the Fairies and the Hero System were returned to Taisha."

Fuu understood that those things would only exist during dangerous times, but she still felt it was a waste.

She had treated Inugami as a house pet. He helped taking in the newspaper and guarding the fort from possible thieves. While Fairies were sacred existences that protected the world, no one told her to not treat them as domestic animals, so she had grown attached to them…

"Hmm, now that I think about it," Fuu hummed and looked up to the dull white ceiling. "Some of them aren't even animals. Itsuki's Kodama, Karin's Yoshiteru, and Tougou's Shiranui and Aobouzu…"

 _…Well, Fairies aren't things normal people would know to begin with, so…_

"…Ah, right." Fuu blinked upon seeing the clock hung on the wall. "This won't do. I'll have to go there…"

Putting on her hospital sandals, Fuu left the room and walked past the lounge. It didn't seem like the others were around. Karin had light wounds so she was discharged quicker than anyone, so that left Yuuna, Itsuki, Fuu, and…

"…I wonder what he's doing right now." Fuu took the lift to the third floor and went to the right wing of the building. "Being strapped to the bed for so long must be annoying… Thankfully, the doctor just gave the green light for visiting."

Well, at least everyone could talk to him now and it wasn't like the boy would have any complaint about it. Although, when she reached the room her last friend was in, she spotted a familiar red hair.

The red-haired girl bowed down in front of an opened door and slid it close. Then she walked down the left corridor, probably taking a different route to go back to her room. Fuu wondered why _Yuuna_ was still awake even though the sun was about to sink, not to mention she looked harried…

"…Did something happen?" Fuu asked and looked at a room plate bearing the number 327. "…I guess that can be for later."

She wouldn't want to intrude if it was a personal issue. If it affected their daily lives, though, Fuu would be sure to confront both of them so for now, the tactic she chose was the plain old 'wait-and-see' thing.

Fuu knocked on the door twice. She was about to say something but she heard an older voice saying 'Come in' from beyond the door. The girl tilted her head. _Who else is there?_

Her question was answered when she entered. The first thing she saw was the narrow entrance due to the existence of a cubicle meant for shower and toilet. Past that point was the main room with width twice as big as the room she got.

 _What is this special treatment,_ the girl asked in her mind but dismissed it because of the different situation which had befallen upon her junior. She walked in, spotted her junior in his bed and she met the gaze of…

"…Huh?" Fuu blinked as she recognized the white robe and the white mask drawn with the symbol of a tree on the visitor's lap. "…Am I… interrupting something?"

The bedridden person waved with a smile. "Nah, that's just my old man back from work. Come on in, Fuu-senpai."

"I see…" Fuu nodded in understanding and bowed to Issei's father. "It is nice to meet you. My name is Inubouzaki Fuu, president of the Hero Club and a third-year student at Sanshu Middle School."

The man smiled. "There's no need for formality. I'm not on duty right now, Inubouzaki-kun."

He made a gesture by waving his mask close to his aged face, his eyes plainly giving the message of 'See?' without reservation. Fuu almost exasperated at his carefreeness.

The members of Taisha she had met in the past kept on a stoic attitude wherever and whenever they were sighted. They seemed to have the habit of covering their faces with masks for reasons related to the Shinju, and they had a work ethic that could only be described as nothing but dedicated.

To have her image of the organization be ruined so simply like this was terribly anticlimactic... Well, if she was given the green light then that might be alright, but… _Why does this feel awkward..?_

Probably because she was checking on her junior only to find out he already had a family member visiting him. Yeah, that made sense but then she remembered Yuuna exiting this very room. _Did that mean she talked with him, too?_

"Ah," Issei's father muttered and left his chair. "You can sit here, Inubouzaki-kun. You want to talk with Ise, right?"

"Eh? Ah, but I don't want to impose myself…"

"It's fine, it's fine. You're a good kid and I know that you have something to talk with him about. Don't let my presence distract you."

 _Ugh, how can he be so smooth with words…?_ Fuu reluctantly accepted the act of kindness and sat down. The man decided to pick the sofa as his and settled down. Again, the awkwardness still permeated the room and Fuu swore that she picked the wrong time to visit!

"…Dad, you're making her uncomfortable." Issei suddenly pointed out.

"Huh? I didn't know that." His father stroked his stubbly chin. "Do you want me to give you two a 'private room'?"

 _Kaaaaaah, that's way too uncalled for, dammit!_

"Daaad…?" Issei whined in protest.

"Okay, fine… Geez, I'm just wondering how you usually treat your _girl_ friends, you know?"

 _Oy, I felt like you should have added a short pause there! Are you trying to incite misunderstandings or something!?_

"You just want to have some fun teasing me about that…! Now shoo! Shoo!"

The man just grinned widely and did as he was told to. Before Fuu could stop him, however, he was already gone from the room.

Now all that was left were her and her junior. In a room. _All alone._

"…Uh," Fuu muttered as she pushed aside the various thoughts that swirled because _someone_ said something unnecessary. "…H-Hi? Hello? _Bonjour?_ "

The boy's gaze fell flat at the forced greeting. _Okay, I messed up big time right there…_

"Great," Fuu sighed and hung her head. "Let me take a breather. That fine for you?"

"Well… there's a water dispenser over there so go ahead."

Fuu thanked Issei and got herself a drink. After a long sip of water, her thirst was quenched and she placed back the paper cup on the cupboard next to the bed. _Okay, that does the trick…_

"Well," Fuu said as she sat down with her legs on top of each other. "Let's talk."

"Sounds like an interrogation, though…" Issei remarked with a wandering gaze.

"Stop nitpicking!" Fuu raised her arms above her head. "I know that, alright!? Why can't _anyone_ give me a break, already!?"

"That's because you're the one at fault most of the times, senpai…"

Fuu writhed in place and screamed internally. _Why is this happening…!?_

"Well, beside that…" Issei looked to the side. "I'm not sure if this is the right place to have a talk…"

"…Huh?" Fuu stopped doing what she was doing and blinked twice at those vague words. "What do you mean by that?"

"Err… Nothing! So, what do you want to talk about this time, Fuu-senpai?"

 _Good question,_ Fuu thought with a nod. She crossed her arms and pondered but every time she did that, her mind wandered and spun around one topic.

The girl inclined her gaze and settled at her junior, catching a glimpse of red that hid under the sleeves of the blue hospital robe. Issei was… He looked different.

Not because he suddenly had a growth spurt or something. Besides the brown hair that had lengthened quite noticeably, which Fuu felt twitchy about, the boy's eyes had become bright green in color with sharp slits replacing his once-dark pupils. There were also red scales encroaching his face from his chest, and the case of his pointed ears, and…

"…Am I seeing things or are those things behind your back a pair of wings?" Fuu pointed with her right index finger. "Also, there are something like tree branches poking out from the sides of your head... Are those _dragon horns?_ "

Issei's eyebrows shot up and disappeared into his hairlines. He looked up and over his shoulder and he muttered something under his breath, maybe a curse or an insult at his own brand of stupidity. Normal people wouldn't notice but Fuu could tell that he was reprimanding his own idiocy.

Probably, he was thinking he forgot something important only to realize that the missing thing was actually right beside him all this time.

Probably, he was getting frustrated on the inside and chiding himself for having not noticed the obvious.

Probably, he was going to make up an excuse and laugh it off even if it damaged his reputation or even worth as a person.

"Don't do that, Issei." Fuu leaned forward and met his surprised gaze. "If you think you've had enough of your own weaknesses, then I've had enough of you beating yourself up like a fool."

The boy dropped his jaw at that. _So it's a bullseye, huh…?_

"What, but, huh…!?" Issei's eyes darted around only to end up staring back at Fuu. "…H-How…?"

The girl grinned. "Do you think no one would notice?"

She sighed and leaned back in her chair.

"It's not that hard to tell. Boys around your age are so transparent and you're a friend I interact with on a regular basis." Fuu shrugged. "It would be odd if I can't even notice the glowing neon signs, right?"

 _And probably that's the reason why Yuuna looked like that,_ Fuu further thought. However, she chose not to tell the boy that. That was a problem between Yuuna and Issei. She knew where the line was drawn at.

"…Ah… Uh, I guess… that's not… wrong." Issei fidgeted around and hung his head. "So, then… Did I worry everyone?"

"To death?" Fuu tilted her head and nodded. "Probably. I mean, you look like you're going to break at any moment."

 _And it's for a perfectly understandable reason too._

The boy had had his own hardships, but not even Fuu expected him to veer so far away from humanity that he stopped looking like a human at all. Hell, his current appearance matched those lizardman-things from some traditional RPG games to a T. No matter what, the weirdness and creepy buttons were turned all the way to eleven and _that wasn't good at all_.

 _But,_ Fuu added. _That doesn't mean he's no longer the awkward and perverted junior that I knew._

The appearance might have changed. He might no longer looked like a human, but the person inside remained the same. Fuu would vouch for that and she was certain the girls will too. However, if words were not exchanged, how could she convince her stubborn junior?

Inhaling a deep breath, the blonde rose and left the chair. She approached the bed, moved her hand and…

"So what if you can't be called a human any longer? You're still my _kouhai_ , my underling and also club member." Fuu reached out and patted Issei's head. "Don't forget that you're still the Hyoudou Issei that everyone knows."

The boy was silent. It was if he couldn't process the words that reached his ears but after a while, he hitched a breath and his shoulders shuddered.

"Ah… Aaah," uttered the boy. "Y-You're so funny, senpai… If it's like that, how can I not be happy…?"

Fuu paused, then she slowly nodded. She didn't answer to him. At the very least, she chose to kept her lips silent as Issei droned on.

"…Why are you being so quiet…? That's not… That doesn't fit your personality at all, you know…? It's not like you…"

The boy's voice cracked. Between the pauses and short silences, she could hear restrained gasps and pained murmurs.

Fuu pulled Issei in, hugging his head as gently as she could. She closed her eyes, breathed in… and then she whispered.

"It's alright," Fuu brushed back the mess of brown hair and felt the rough texture of the scales covering Issei's cheek. "Everything's alright. Nobody will hear you so you can let it all out, Issei."

She felt him shivering in her arms.

"I… can't," the boy said. "There's just… no way, right…? If, if I cry, then as if I won't be able to stay cool in front of everyone… I already… I've already prepared myself for this…"

"Even so," Fuu cut him off. "There's nothing wrong with shedding your tears. All I want to ask from you is one thing."

Fuu looked past the windows and at the reddening sky. Night was going to fall, and she was sure that she would be scolded by the nurse and Itsuki once she returned back to her room.

She didn't mind that. At the very least, she had a good reason why she could be fine with coming back late.

"…Even if it hurts, make sure you don't let go of that feeling, even after you overcome that pain. Alright?"

As if the last dam had been shattered, Issei embraced Fuu. The boy broke out in tears, crying on her chest while caring not about his pride. He didn't even notice that the scales covering his face were scratching and stabbing on her, but the girl endured and let that be.

It was alright. It was better this way. The boy cried and shed his tears like a child would, and Fuu recalled a story from a long time ago.

Of a child who looked up and loved her parents that gave her overflowing love and courage.

Of a girl who continued to stay by the side of her shy little sister, always protecting her even with the passing of their parents, and…

Of a girl who deceived everyone, including her own self for the sake of one selfish wish.

"…I wonder…" Fuu whispered in a quiet tone that not even the weeping boy could hear. "Have I truly done the right thing, Dad… mom…?"

As the sun set in the horizon, the secret War between Heroes and Vertexes came to a close.


	39. Chapter 33 - Time of Tranquility

The sky was pitch-black.

That was one of the few things she didn't like about Jukai. As much as the girl marveled at the majesty and grandness of the alternate realm overlaying reality, she couldn't come to like the starless sky. A few years ago, her family would often go hiking at Inoyama and camp out there, making barbecue on a grill, playing in the river, hunting mushrooms and stargazing and various other things...

 _Now I want to go hiking again,_ thought the girl while sitting in lotus position. _Maan, I wonder how everyone is doing…_

As her mind wandered away, she felt a presence entering the Jukai. She didn't need to use her terminal to know who was approaching her from behind. After all, there could only be one person who could meet her there so she turned around to give a greeting…

"…Huh?" Gin paused, blinking twice as if she was looking at a person with two heads. "Nii-chan, what's with that look? Is that cosplay?"

The brown-haired boy with horns, scaled skins and wings groaned. He planted a hand on his forehead, nursing his head as if he had a massive headache while muttering gibberish under his breath.

 _…As entertaining as always._ "Uh, it's not? Wait, is it related to that dragon transformation you talked about before?! I'm sorry!"

"No, well… Me too, I guess…" The older boy raised a hand. "Ever since Sonoko-chan placed this illusion spell on me, I almost forgot how I actually look like."

 _Huh, is that how it is?_ Gin wasn't someone who could think very hard about difficult things, so she tended to just roll with the situation and deal with it somehow or another. _Wait, since when can Sonoko cast something as cool as magic spells? Does that mean I can do that too!?_

"Errm… Gin-sensei?"

"Hm? What is it, Nii-chan?"

The boy looked sheepish for some reason. Gin tilted her head at that awkward gesture that definitely didn't fit the usual behavior of the older boy.

"Well…" Issei trailed off. "There's something important I have to tell you!"

 _Oh, is it a new story?_ "What is it? Did something happen? Another accidental confession?"

The boy tripped down. He immediately got back up but it was clear he was flustered by Gin's teasing.

"No! I haven't done that again and I'm not going to do it again! _Ever!_ "

 _Ah, that's a relief._ Gin sat down and patted the ground twice.

"Then let's talk about it," she said with a grin plastered on her face. "Nii-chan, you don't look like you can fight right now, anyway. Is that okay for you?"

Her disciple nodded and took a seat in front of her. Gin noted the sluggish movement and the bags under the boy's eyes. _It looks like it's not a lighthearted story…_

While she hoped that wasn't the case, she braced her heart and listened from the beginning to the very end.

In the end, it took quite some time for Issei to finish the story and it took another while for Gin to process the story. The girl creased her eyebrows together, humming in thoughts at how much she had missed out.

She had to say something soon, but…

"…That's rough." That was all she could say. "And that sounds like a huge problem, that transformation of yours, Nii-chan."

"Yeah… I guess," Issei replied with his right hand scratching the back of his head. "Once I fell asleep, I got transported here so I thought of sharing the story with you… Guess it's too much to swallow, huh?"

Gin shook her head. "Not at all. Actually, I'm glad you're telling me this, Nii-chan."

 _Though it's kind of problematic in its own way,_ she further added without voicing the thought out. If she could, Gin didn't want to inconvenience Issei any more. She _of all people_ understood the weight of the boy's decisions, so trying to talk him out of it would just mean lying to herself.

That was why she stayed silent until the mood became comfortable enough for her to begin a new topic.

"So…" The girl said, "…Were you crying before you came here, Nii-chan? Your eyes are red and puffy."

Issei stiffened for a moment. "I… Yeah. I was. It's embarrassing to admit, though."

"I see…"

That explained a lot of things. That also helped solve a few problems right away, so Gin readjusted her sitting posture. Once she was finished, the girl patted her lap.

"Come here, Nii-chan," Gin suggested. "You still need rest so let's take a break."

"Eh?!" The boy shouted as if he had heard something unbelievable. "What? Huh…!? B-But I have these horns! They've got sharp edges!"

"It's fine so hurry up. You and I know we don't have all the time in 'this world'."

After a short moment of stillness, Gin smiled in triumph when she saw the boy hung his head in defeat. He walked toward her, sat to her right and then laid his head on her lap as carefully as he could.

"Heh," muttered the girl. "Looks like I didn't need to explain what I want you to do this time. Well done, my disciple."

The boy averted his eyes away and turned around so as not to face her. He hesitated a little for some reasons, but the girl soon understood why. Probably, he didn't want to hurt her by roughly rotating his head. After all, he had scales as skin with horns growing out from his skull.

And judging from his reddening ear, he might have noticed her smiling in glee at the display of kindness.

"I-It can't be helped, okay? As if I can miss the sign when you do something as obvious as _that_ …"

"Right, right." Gin nodded and closed her eyes. "I'm sure you do."

"What? You won't believe me—"

Before he could finish his words, Gin placed her hand on Isse's head. Silence dawned upon the two, and Gin continued her turn by brushing the wild mess of brown hair of her student.

"It's alright," Gin whispered. "I believe in you, Nii-chan. There's no way I won't believe someone I call a friend."

It was quiet. The Jukai was a place locked away from time; it was difficult to determine how many seconds, minutes, or even hours had passed and it was outright impossible to know what was going on in reality.

However, even though time had stilled, a strong wind blew and spread from the heart of Shikoku.

Gin craned her head upward. Many flower petals floated in the winds, all traversing through the sky and forest of vines that was the Jukai. She smelled a nice scent she was familiar with. Salt was the scent of the sea, and the lightness of it meant it came from the Seto Inland Sea.

Then there was the scent of sunflowers in the wind, warm and nostalgic as it reminded her of the summer she had spent with her best friends.

"…Gin-sensei?"

"Hmm?" Gin replied without knowing what kind of expression Issei have. "What is it, Nii-chan?"

"…The war," the boy paused. "Now that the battle is over… This will be the end of our training, right?"

 _…Ah, I didn't expect him to be worried about that._

"Maybe," Gin answered while stroking Issei's scalp. "What do you think, Nii-chan?"

The waves dribbled and crashed on the shore. Alongside the rustling leaves and the blowing winds, a natural orchestra played out in an ever so quiet yet enchanting tone.

"…Can I see you again?"

The air was cold, but it wasn't freezing. The wind touched the skin that wasn't covered by her Hero outfit, and Gin gradually cast down her gaze at the curious expression of her disciple.

"Well, who knows?" Gin chuckled. "Although, if you can, try visiting me in the future."

"In the future…" Issei met her gaze and inhaled. "…Is it okay to see you again when the time comes?"

 _Ah,_ a part of the girl whispered. _So it ended up like this after all, huh?_

Gin honestly wondered what she needed to do. She knew that her answer would be too much to ask for, even for her. The Hero of Shinju-kan understood that she was already toeing the line, and that she was being way too selfish to demand something from the boy who had undergone so many hardships.

Could she do it? Could she tell him the truth? Would that solve the dilemma she was having? Would that give her the courage to face reality even if it would just hurt the two of them?

Gin took a deep breath in… and then she breathed out. Calmly, like a soft spring breeze that brought to mind fond memories.

"Maybe someday," the girl said, her smile unfaltering. "It will be extremely difficult for us to meet again once this dream ends though."

"…Even so. I want to see you again, _Gin-chan_."

The girl laughed. Wow, she didn't expect that such a corny line. If Sonoko was around, she would have written this scene into her novel even if she was expressly told not to. Even so…

"You can," Gin replied. "Someday in the future… I'm sure we'll meet again."

"When will that be…?" Issei asked.

"I don't know." Gin grinned even as Issei blinked and stared owlishly at her. "Well, it's not like I'm the one who would decide the place and time. Heck, maybe we won't even see each other again in the same circumstance."

However…

However, that was fine for her. She had gone on ahead by herself, and reached the other side before her friends and even family. For what she had done, she deserved the role of one who had to wait for until everyone reached the same place she had gone to.

No matter how long she had to wait.

No matter how much it pained her to continue waiting all by herself.

Gin was about to speak up, but soon she heard a quiet sound. The brunette cast her gaze downward and she found out her student had closed his eyes and slept soundly.

"…Well, now _this_ is unfair," said the girl with a troubled groan. "My legs are falling asleep and it feels like this session is going on longer than I expected."

The girl looked at the other side of the bridge. There was a landmass covered with a forest. In fact, the land was overflowing with vegetation that the entirety of Shikoku looked like an enormous forest.

That was the home she tried to protect.

That was the place her friends continued to live in, even without her walking by their side.

That was the world the girl yearned to return to but no longer having the right to do so.

"…It's already over for me, huh…" Gin murmured. "It's too bad. I wonder how Kintarou is doing. I promised to make him as my underling once he grows up…"

The girl squeaked in realization. She stayed still, then she sighed as she scratched her head.

"There's also teaching _those two_ how to cook… Mgh, I definitely am going to be scolded for ten hours once we reunited…"

 _Well,_ Gin concluded. _Can't win everything in life, right? Besides, my luck is downright horrible that I should have shouted 'What misfortune!' on a daily basis._

Still, as if she would curse her own luck.

Gin didn't mind being unlucky. She would do something about it with her own strength, and there was nothing that would stop her if she put her fighting spirit and guts into it.

"…Humanity won't lose," Gin said as if swearing an oath. "Even if we're weak and have difficulties cooperating with each other… We still have our spirit to help keep ourselves together."

 _That's right._ As if her friends would lose. As if they would possibly give up. The girl believed in her friends, and so she closed her eyes.

The winds brushed past her as flower petals scattered and vanished into the sky. As the radiant light of the Shinju basked the world without stars, the girl hummed a tune.

 _"I wonder… for what reason, I was born~"_

A song she thought up one day before the fated day at the end of summer. A song that the girl would feel too embarrassed to let her friends know about.

 _"I think I'll never get to know until the very end~"_

It was a song only Minowa Gin knew.

* * *

Darkness washed over her.

It was comfortable. The darkness enveloping her was warm, and she felt like floating in a pool of warm water. There was a current, and yet the girl didn't choose to resist the flow; merely floating like a leaf down a river.

However, something felt strange. Even though she slept early, there were things she couldn't put in words to describe what she sensed. That uncomfortable feeling didn't go away no matter how much she tried to ward it off, and so when the morning arrived, Yuuna woke up despite her heavy eyelids threatening to shut close again.

"Good morning Yuuki-san," the girl heard a familiar voice and met the gaze of the nurse in charge of her. "It's morning. Breakfast is ready."

 _Ooh…?_ Yuuna revealed herself from the blanket and stretched her arms upward. Needless to say, something creaked and she froze over.

"Owowowowwww!?" Yuuna whined as strength left her upper body with painful numbness paralyzing her arms.

"Yuuki-san!?" The kind woman rushed over and helped Yuuna rest more comfortably. "I know you are impatient, but you shouldn't force yourself like that. Your injuries have yet to heal."

"Auuhh… I'm sorry…"

After a swift medical check-up and confirmation from her nurse, Yuuna was allowed to at least sit up. It was followed by a session of breakfast, and Yuuna's grumbling stomach prompted her to appease her own hunger.

However, the first bite made her pause. Yuuna blinked, then frowned as her nose scrunched a little.

"Yuuki-san?" The nurse called out. "Is something wrong?"

"…Mmm," Yuuna replied with a vague nod. "For some reason, the food doesn't smell right, and the taste is blander than the usual."

"…Is that so? I will notify the doctor after this, then."

 _Yeah… that might be for the best,_ Yuuna thought before continuing her breakfast. She finished the chicken porridge first, ate the fruits alongside the dessert after it, and then downed a cup of water.

After the nurse cleaned up the dishes, she excused herself from the room without forgetting to notify Yuuna to not go anywhere. The girl winced as she remembered the scolding she received yesterday.

"Uh, got it…" Yuuna waved as the door closed. "Aah, why is this happening…? Even though I don't want to trouble anyone…"

 _Stupid me,_ the girl chided herself for a moment. Her mind soon wandered away and Yuuna looked at the windows. The room she was placed in was a single room that had quite a luxurious set of features installed in it. There was a bathtub and a wardrobe, and there was a small fridge in the cupboard's lower shelves. _It's almost like a four-star hotel room…_

"Uuh, this is so uncomfortable…" Yuuna muttered while hugging her arms.

Now that she thought about it, Tougou usually woke her up. Even though she knew her best friend was an early riser, Yuuna herself could never come to do the same. She liked to sleep in and the futon was just so warm that she didn't want to leave it.

However, the hospital had a curfew for visitors and now she woke up all alone. Her parents were coming a little late because they apparently wanted to bring a surprise for her, and Tougou messaged her that she was making three boxes of botamochi just for her.

"Heh he… I can't wait…" Yuuna smiled sloppily and then realized something was off. "…Wait, does this mean I'm being spoiled by everyone around me!?"

She trembled in horror. What if she became so spoiled that she grew up into a no-good adult? That would be bad. Heck, it would be a nightmare! She would be unable to live without relying on others…!

"Heey," a voice called out from the door. "You up there, Yuuna? I'm coming in, alright?"

"Eh? Ah… Karin-chan?"

The brunette with twintails answered only after she walked into the room. She was holding a hard-paper handbag and she was nibbling on a dried sardine.

"Sup," her friend greeted. "It looks like you didn't sleep in this time."

Yuuna felt an arrow stabbing through her conscience and forced a smile.

"Y-Yeah, well, I can wake up early if I want to!" The redhead struck a pose. "I just didn't feel like it yesterday!"

"That sounds like an excuse a slacker would use."

 _Nooo, now I have nowhere to escape to!_ Despite Yuuna's internal whining, Karin seemed to have not noticed. She simply dragged in a round stool, seated herself in it, and passed the handbag to Yuuna with one hand.

Yuuna accepted the present either way. She checked the content – and her expression brightened.

"Wow, so many sweets!" Yuuna rummaged through the content of the bag and fished out a bag of… dried sardines? "…Huh? Why is there a bag of dried sardines here?"

Karin coughed into her right fist and looked away. Yuuna glanced at her, tilted her head and asked.

"Karin-chan, did you get a cold?"

The second transfer student's cheeks reddened. _Oh no, that's a sign of cold right there! She needs medical attention—_

"O-Of course not, you dummy! I'm not sick! Look who's talking!"

"E-Eh…!? Did I say something wrong!?"

"The fact that you don't even know what's wrong here when you should have taken a clue is annoying!"

"Eeeeeehhh!? So it's my fault?!"

 _What's going on!? Why is Karin-chan throwing a fit?! What did_ I _do!?_

* * *

Issei looked back at the staircase behind him and wondered if he had heard something like a familiar banter.

"…Must be my imagination." The boy concluded. "Well, this should lead me straight to the rooftop, and… there we go."

The moment he opened the door, he was greeted with a curtain of light.

He walked into it and ended up in a place devoid of almost anything but rows of hangers. His feet scratched the rough concrete floors and he walked forward without a clear direction until he stopped and craned his head upward.

The sunlight was lukewarm, while the morning mist enveloping Sanshu created a rather lonesome atmosphere. Not many souls would like to leave the confines of their houses at seven o'clock, but there he was, standing idly at the rooftop of the hospital as if it was nobody's business.

 _Huh,_ Issei thought as he looked down to the floor. _So this is what chickens feel when they walk around…_

His hands and his feet, they no longer looked human at all. While his hands had yet to change very much, his toes were replaced with a set of four claws and dense layers of red scales.

A small exertion of strength was enough to crush a thermos and the claws were sharp enough to make a hole through six-centimeters concrete wall in one hit.

"…This is still hard to swallow." Issei sat down with one knee raised to his chest-level. "So, Ddraig, can I have a full explanation of what I can do, now?"

There was a groused grunt coming from a corner of his mind. A green glow appeared at the back of his left hand but the Sacred Gear didn't display itself. Did that mean Boosted Gear had integrated itself with his body?

[Not a wrong deduction,] Ddraig quipped. [To an extent, you are a dragon restricted under the confines of the Sacred Gear. No non-human can use those things without extracting them from a human so you can be relieved that your humanity is still intact.]

As expected, the dragon read through him. That didn't mean he wasn't annoyed, and Issei grumbled.

"Then why didn't you say that before?" Issei sighed, "I made a fool out of myself..."

[That you did,] Ddraig said as if nodding in agreement. [But I chose not to do that.]

"…Why is that?" Issei asked.

[Human relationships are a pain in the ass to me.]

The birds chirped as they crossed the sky above the hospital rooftop. Issei didn't say anything until his annoyance build up enough and loudly hurled insults at his partner. _Stupid dragons and their simple mindsets…!_

[Oh, shut up.] Ddraig deflected, [Dragons don't live with the need of imposing complex rules onto their society. We don't have any reason to worry about stuff like isolating our anxiety just because we don't understand the unknown. In fact, we challenge the unknown and conquer them.]

"Are you lecturing me…? Seriously, Ddraig…?"

[You asked for it.]

The boy threw his hands to the sky and was about to lay his back on the floor until he felt something poking at him. Issei groaned.

"Damn these things…" Issei prodded the appendages attached to his back. "So… can I fly now?"

[Pretty much, though you'd need to practice first,] Ddraig answered. [You're still a 'hatchling,' anyway.]

 _…Setting aside that blatant pettiness…_ "Does that mean I won't need to use boosters to do the same?"

[You can still use them as extra accelerators,] his partner said. [With wings, now you can conserve your energy and you can also fly around places that you originally couldn't.]

 _That's a good idea,_ Issei conceded. If he could fly, a lot of problems like transportation fee and exhausting magical reserves could be fixed. All he had to do was a ton of practice and there's enough time for that.

"Alright, let's try that, then!"

* * *

Sonoko was definitely _not_ a morning person.

People wouldn't know right away but she disliked waking up early. The confines of a warm bed was her place of solace, a holy sanctuary where she could dream of the wildest fantasies her imagination could take her to. Nobody was allowed to disturb her although if her mother tried to wake her up, she would definitely protest by saying 'five minutes more' before getting scolded afterwards.

However, ever since she got herself bedridden in an almost completely crippled state… Sonoko began to realize the joy of waking up more so than before.

The morning sunlight was warm but not stinging her skin. The gentle breeze was slightly cold but it was a welcome sensation alongside the sound of crashing waves. At the viewing spot close to the ruined Great Bridge, Sonoko appreciated the time with her left eye closed.

"…Hmm…?" The girl slowly reopened her eye and craned her head upward. "Something is coming here…?"

What was it? She didn't know but the atmosphere shifted a little. It was different in a way that couldn't be put in words, and Sonoko pursed her lips as she made a confused sound.

Then she saw an avian wobbling in the sky. The blonde's eyes blinked twice, certain that the figure was a giant bat but it was past eight in the morning. _Bats shouldn't be flying at this hour…_

Then, what was that thing in the sky?

Sonoko's answer came in the form of the giant bat taking a nosedive and crash landing right before her altar. There was a loud sound of impact that disrupted the birds from singing, and they took flight as if fleeing for their lives.

"…Huh?" Sonoko muttered, unable to say anything as clouds of dirt piled up. "What…?"

Once the veil of dirt dissipated, she could see a figure, a humanoid figure with wings on their back. At this point, someone like Sonoko would see that as a sign of something that she had to deal with for the past two years, but then her jaw slackened and her eyes rounded like saucers.

"Han…kun?" Sonoko asked.

The boy still in sitting position rubbed the small of his back as he groaned. His smile was sheepish like a child caught red-handed while pulling a prank.

"Ye-Yeah?" Issei raised a hand in greeting, wearing a similar hospital robe that differed only in coloration. "Sup there, Sonoko-chan."

 _…Waah, a dragon just crash landed in my castle… What should I do?_


	40. Chapter 34 - In Anticipation of Tomorrow

_How embarrassing._

Sitting by the wide bed where his friend was resting in, Issei tried to mentally will his dragon wings to shrink or fold so that they would not take up as much space. Sure, he could just ask Sonoko to change how he was perceived by others but the latest changes to his… physique had become too conspicuous even if it was hidden by illusion spells.

 _After all,_ Issei thought while recalling the time his wings pinned him to the doorstep of the hospital room, _they're growing bigger and wider as time passed._

It was a physical thing, so Issei had no problem even though he was becoming closer, in term of looks, to a giant fire-breathing lizard. Really, the problem would be the fact he could outlive _entire ages of human civilization_ which meant he was going to see everyone he loved _pass away before him_.

Issei frowned as he imagined the future that would inevitably come to him. _That suddenly took a depressing turn, there..._

"…I see," Sonoko said upon listening to his story. "You really are a reckless person, Han-kun."

Issei smiled sheepishly. "Well, I can't help it and I don't want to lose anyone. It's just who I am."

The girl with dirty blonde hair nodded, a soft and understanding smile bloomed on her face. The sight eased Issei's heart and he placed his left hand on the bedside.

"Yes. That's just like you, Han-kun," said Sonoko. "But I don't think escaping from hospital like that was a good idea. What if the others found out you're missing? There will be a _huuuuge_ uproar over there~"

 _Agh, don't jinx it like that…!_ Issei didn't want to think about such a thing. It was horrifying since the chances were high that a ruckus like Sonoko predicted would actually happen.

In order to temporarily ignore the dreadful punishment awaiting him once he returned back to the hospital, Issei redirected the topic away with a cough into his fist.

"A-Anyway!" He said, "I'm sorry for visiting this late, not to mention this early in the day. I know that you're no different than a useless bum during the morning, but I want to see you too, Sonoko-chan."

While the blonde's lips twitched – probably at Issei's remark of how truly useless his first love was in the morning – the girl hummed a random tune and she suddenly asked.

"What do you mean by 'I want to see you too', Han-kun?"

 _Ah, that's a good question but how should I answer that?_

Issei tapped his right knee with his index finger. "Well… I kind of had a dream last night, it's about a friend. We're not going to meet each other again for a while, so I kind of missed her and then got reminded of you…"

Sonoko tilted her head. She looked like she didn't expect to hear that and, to be perfectly honest, her reaction was understandable. After all, a dream was a dream and it had no reason to be confused with reality, right?

 _I got it wrong,_ Issei thought. _Maybe I should've called it 'Dreamscape'._

[That still won't explain it, you know?] Ddraig chimed in, [Calling it an alternate realm where your soul is dragged into might work, but it doesn't say anything about _what_ the whole occurrence is all about.]

Issei groaned. Why was it so hard to communicate and understand each other? The whole conversation sounded better when he imagined it in his head...

"Hmm… That sounds interesting," ignoring his internal hubris, Sonoko gave her personal opinion and smiled. "So, is it a girl? Is she cute?"

Issei choked on air when he heard his love interest's spot-on accusation. Coughing and looking away from Sonoko's bright gaze, Issei sweated bullets on the inside. Did he just step on a landmine?

[Oh, you certainly did, soldier.]

 _Goddamn it, Ddraig…!_

[That's what happen when you talk about another woman in front of a woman. Use your common sense.]

 _Why am I getting lectured about common sense by a goddamn_ dragon!?

[Because I can,] Ddraig chuffed. [Who the hell do you think I am?]

Issei unceremoniously planted both of his hands onto his face. He grumbled, groaned, growled and let out all sort of sounds at the face of inconsistency between reality and the idealized fantasy in his mind, and soon he became quiet as he started to think that giving up on butting head with the crazy might help restoring his sanity even for a little.

"Hmm? What is it, Han-kun? Is something wrong?" Sonoko asked.

"Eh!? A-Ah, uh, nothing…!" Issei shifted in place, averted his eyes from the innocent gaze directed at him and waved. "Err, well… I'm not sure if 'cute' is the correct word to describe her…"

 _How should I explain…?_ Issei crossed his arms and pondered with both of his eyes closed. In his mind, he recalled the speech pattern, the regular behavior, and the tendencies _Gin_ had shown in front of him, and…

"…Actually, I'm not so sure about it myself," the boy replied, greeting his beloved friend with a similarly confused expression. "I mean, that person talks so brazenly, does something stupid once in awhile, uses her fists to blow away stress, and she always carried herself with baseless confidence no matter what happens."

Did that mean Gin was a _chuunibyou?_ Issei paused and reconsidered his assessment. _Tomboyish fits her more, actually._

"…Why does it feel like I've heard of someone like that before…?" Sonoko lifted her sole movable arm and placed a bandaged index finger on her temple as she groaned.

"Well… She's also kind of cool and charming…" Issei nodded twice. "Yeah, I guess that's a correct way to describe her too."

"Whoa, her character's all over the place~"

Issei could help being inconsistent with his description. He was just giving out his opinion, so he wouldn't know what Sonoko was talking about. At any rate, he relaxed his shoulders and exhaled.

 _"On to the next news, the source of a great fire that burned a factory several days ago has been confirmed. Although there are many injured workers, there is no deaths. According to the—"_

…Huh? What was that?

Issei craned his head upward, seeing a small radio sitting on the stone rail which surrounded the viewing spot. It was a portable version with a clear white color that matched the sandy beach beyond it, and it was retelling a news that seemed to be a big accident.

"Ah," Sonoko made a sound, drawing the boy's attention back to her. "I'm sorry, Han-kun. Can you turn the radio off for me?"

"Huh… So that's yours, Sonoko-chan?"

The blonde nodded when Issei pointed at the device. He… didn't expect that, but it kind of made sense since Sonoko couldn't leave her bed. To pass time and to entertain herself, she would need something that could easily take her mind away.

Television and radio worked best to do that, though Issei doubted the Taisha could prepare the former in an open-roofed place like the viewing spot.

"Well, sure."

Issei left his seat, walked toward the radio device and switched the device off. After that, he folded in the transmission antenna and gave it back to Sonoko. The girl gave him a grateful smile, to which he replied with a carefree grin.

However, instead of sitting back down, he looked over the viewing spot and stared at the blue sea. The ruin of the Great Bridge could be seen at the corner of his vision, and he suppressed a sigh from forming when he thought of how he no longer had any need nor even a reason to keep on visiting that place.

 _…Now that I think about it… What were those broken monuments?_

He recalled familiar names: the 'Nogi', 'Washio', and 'Minowa'. Out of three of those particular monuments, two of them were related to his friends and one of them seemed to have relation with Sonoko.

 _Well, 'Wasshi' sounds like 'Washio' that got itself shortened so as to ring like a nickname to me…_

"Say, Sonoko-chan." Issei didn't look back at Sonoko despite her responding with a curious hum. "Are you lonely staying up here all by yourself?"

There was a short silence before a dawning realization hit Issei.

Why did he have to say it like that? _Of course_ Sonoko would be lonely. He had never seen any other kid interacting with her beside him, and those who visited her were all creepy adults who wore masks that were devoid of any human features.

"Sorry, let me rephrase that," Issei said and cleared his throat for a second take. "Sonoko-chan, do you want to meet my friends?"

"…Huh?"

 _Ah, now I blew it up._ Issei berated himself in his mind for skipping so many steps that there was not even a head or tail in his suggestion. _Why can't I talk like a normal person!?_

[Probably because you're a dragon now, partner.]

 _Curse you, Ddraig…!_

In the meanwhile, Sonoko stared at Issei as if he had grown a second head. Her lips parted open only to close and, to be quite honest, repeated the motion for several times. It made the girl look like a fish taken out of water.

"Eh, uh… Umm…? What, what did you just say, Han-kun?" Sonoko blinked and _stuttered_. "I, I didn't catch your words earlier… C-Can you repeat that? Just one more time, please?"

Issei thought came to a halt once he watched Sonoko raising her left index finger. The finger was trembling and her left eye spoke of intense bewilderment, as if someone had told her all the airplanes in the world were actually giant flying monstrosities that looked like a cross between the Cheshire Cat and a school bus.

Still, since she asked, he nodded and met her gaze head-on.

"I'll introduce you to my friends, so…" Issei placed both of his hands on his hips as he smiled. "Next time, let's hang out together!"

Upon conveying his intention, the brown-haired boy grinned. The girl, however, was wearing a blank face that definitely signified utter surprise to the point that she had absolutely no idea how to react.

Several seconds passed – and Sonoko burst out laughing.

"Eh, huh…?" Issei inadvertently muttered.

 _Did I say something wrong?_ When he asked his friend, the laughter grew louder and Sonoko clutched her stomach. Tears pooled at the edge of her left eye and she wiped it off her cheek with her left sleeve.

After she calmed down by taking a deep breath in, she breathed out a long sigh and turned her head to face Issei.

"Sorry, Han-kun," said the girl as she smiled a bright smile. "I never thought of it that way. If it's the current you, there's no way Taisha can stop you from doing whatever you want."

"…That sounds as if I'm seen as a tyrant…" Issei scratched his head. "I'm not a Demon King, you know…?"

"Mhm, but you're a dragon, so you can be seen as an equal to Shinju-sama." Sonoko nodded. "After all, the Welsh Dragon is historically known as the avatar of a nation. I think it's safe to say you are on the level of a Land God."

"No no, that sounds way too unbelievable. I can't even defeat a Vertex without the girls' help, you know?" Issei shook his head and protested, "If I can't even do anything by my own strength, as if I can even call myself a dragon, much less a man!"

"Eeeh, but I think you've already done plenty to earn everyone's respect…"

Issei whined. Why did she have to keep on pushing the topic on? He was feeling increasingly uncomfortable with the subject of the talk and it had derailed so far that he was worried Sonoko was consciously steering away from considering his suggestion…

"Well~ I think I can make do with more companions," Sonoko said. "Your friends are all the members of the Hero Club, right? Make sure to bring all of them here, okay?"

Issei's eyes widened. Did that mean his suggestion had passed? Looking at Sonoko, her radiant smile proved that he wasn't imagining her approval and so the boy clenched his hand and pumped his fist to the sky.

"Yes! It's decided, then!"

Issei jumped in place as his heart leaped in joy. However, he suddenly gasped and settled down. Then he extended his hand toward Sonoko.

"Hmm?" Sonoko tilted her head. "What is it this time, Han-kun?"

The boy offered his pinky. Upon seeing that, Sonoko's left eye blinked twice. She stared, and… she heaved as her smile softened.

"It's a promise." Sonoko entwined her pinky with Issei's as she met his gaze.

"Yeah, it's a promise!" Issei grinned.

And then, the boy's and the girl's laughter echoed throughout the morning that enveloped the viewing spot.

"Oh," Sonoko suddenly muttered in mischief. "But before all that, you'll have to do something with your appearance, Han-kun. Halloween only happens once a year, you know?"

" _Agh!?_ "

* * *

It was afternoon. A few clouds hovered in the sky above Sanshu Municipal Middle School, but soon enough they darted away once the winds arrived.

Students frolicked about like schools of fishes. Chatter filled the air, and footsteps became music in the background. Even if it was a scene that seemed to have happened for so many times, nobody could get tired from the festive atmosphere.

However, in a certain room reserved for a certain extracurricular group, a wheelchair-bound girl sighed as she leaned back and put off her reading glasses.

Tougou nursed the bridge of her nose. "It's still no good…"

Glancing at the monitor of the computer meant for club activity, a web page detailing several mythical beings was loaded out. Most of them were western youkai – _monsters,_ if she tried to follow the ancient language of a _foreign country_ the word had originated from – but much to her dismay, nothing proved to be useful.

Indeed, Tougou was searching for information. Although she had accepted the role as acting captain while the others were recuperating, she didn't deny herself the chance to do what she wanted during her spare time.

For her, the last battle had been... _unreal_.

Monsters that she never thought existed, the lethality of Hero System against them… and lastly...

"…Vertexes are intelligent beings," Tougou recited a sentence she had written in one of her research files. "Illogically intelligent, even. A living being that thinks can still be governed by emotions. A proper living being should be ruled by fear upon confronting death."

As a human and a living being, the girl understood the concept well enough that theories began to crop up.

First was the Strays. While malicious and bloodthirsty, they had a clear motive to fight. They had their own wills, acted on them, and moved with vigor. When they realized they were cornered with no chance of winning...

"They would run." Tougou turned around, rolled the wheels of her wheelchair and pushed herself to move toward the table where a stack of papers had piled up. "In that sense, they are living beings. Sapient… No, perhaps Sentient Being is more correct in describing them."

Since their common sense differed greatly than what humans possessed, the girl estimated that the Strays were like ferocious animals that must be put down.

It disturbed her considering some of the Strays possessed humanoid forms to the extent that without wings, horns, claws and fangs…

"They would have passed as 'humans'." Tougou pursed her lips. "And since they have abilities that defy common sense… Disguising themselves as ordinary people would not be so unbelievable."

Tougou didn't like that implication.

To be honest, she wondered how such atrocious beings intruded into the Walls that surrounded the country. The Shinju protected mankind from the world-ending Virus, and the barrier had been proven to have reached from deep underground and extending all the way to the heavens.

In that case, the Strays that didn't possess any possible familial link with native demons that were recorded in local history and legends meant they had infiltrated the country just like the Vertexes did.

However, that raised a question.

"Why would Shinju-sama leave them be?" Tougou tilted her head. "Are they not dangerous? Or is it that Taisha has jurisdiction in exterminating them? More importantly… How did the Strays survive despite the Virus infesting the outside world?"

Too many questions, too little clues, and too little answers. The black-haired girl groaned as she felt her head heating up and throbbing.

 _…I suppose I will have to ask Issei-san once he has fully recovered._

Still, even if the problems regarding the Strays were resolved, the problem hadn't ended there. Not only did the Strays intrigue her, there was something strange with her friends lately…

"Fuu-senpai's and Itsuki-chan's afflictions…" Tougou glanced at the computer. "Yuuna-chan's condition, and then Issei-san's circumstances…"

Out of the five injured members of Hero Club, three were hospitalized because of severe exhaustion, moderate injuries, and unknown symptoms. Furthermore, those three people had used Mankai, which _somehow_ ignited the restlessness washing over her heart.

She felt like she was missing something. She had a familiar feeling sprouting in the corner of her mind, but she felt like it was incomplete… or locked away from her reach.

"And Issei-san…" Tougou breathed in. "…He must have taken the biggest blow on this."

It wasn't unexpected, and it was quite understandable.

After all, Issei had lost the most ever since he participated in the War. He was the one who fought the fiercest battles, and he was the one who got himself injured the most. It was unbelievable how many life-threatening situations he had survived through, and it was baffling Tougou how he could keep on fighting without losing his heart for even once.

However, she knew that there was a limit and she had seen it before.

Several days ago, Tougou had visited Issei alongside the rest of the Hero Club. He was unconscious for three days and he was in intensive treatment for a while which forbade any visit from anyone except his family. When the news about him waking up reached everyone's ears, they immediately visited him but the sight that greeted them was…

"…Will he truly be alright?" Tougou recalled the brittle smile and the words of reassurance that sounded so fake that it was impossible to swallow. "Can I even trust his words when he's putting up a brave front like that…?"

…No, she couldn't. There was no way she could trust him to be alright, at least not by himself.

Tougou had been in a similar position before, so she could understand her friend's suffering even if only a little. She knew how hard it was to accept the weight of a situation she had completely no control of. She understood what it meant to lose something precious and be forced to live through the loss.

As the girl stared down at her unmoving legs…

"I'm back," a voice emerged alongside the sounds of a door sliding open. "The requests are all done, so what's ne – Tougou, what are you doing?"

Tougou blinked. She looked back at the brunette who was her classmate and newest friend and followed her gaze which led to… her? _Huh—_

Karin took a moment before she spat out a sigh. "Why is it that all of you are equally stubborn in an odd way…?"

 _H-How rude!_ "And what do you mean by that, Karin-chan…!?"

"I know that you lot ain't gonna take a no for an answer." Karin rolled her eyes to the side. "I'll let it slide for now. More importantly, the next request, Acting Captain."

When she extended her hand toward Tougou, the wheelchair-bound girl made a surprised sound. She blinked her eyes… and she smiled.

"Karin-chan, you sure have changed."

The brunette raised an eyebrow. "…What's this all of a sudden?"

"Well, you were snappy and hard to approach when you transferred in." Tougou placed a hand on her cheek. "It's amazing how far you've come to ever since then."

Tougou's conversation partner instantly blushed.

She trembled in place and stuttered that she couldn't form coherent words. Tougou worried if her comment had broken her but Karin's pupils shrank and…

"Wh-What are…! What are you talking about!?" Karin shouted, "Are you saying I'm a softie!?"

 _...Oh my, this is interesting…_

"Not really," Tougou deflected with her all-too-wide smile. "Don't worry, Karin-chan, everyone understands, even Issei-san."

"Why is that dummy tacked on when he's got nothing to do with this!?"

"But isn't it because of Issei-san who pushed you around that you resigned yourself to your fate?" The black-haired girl clasped her hands together. "Ah, I see…! It must be difficult to admit. Don't worry; your secret is safe with me."

"Why are you pulling out so many baseless conclusions as if it's nothing!?" Karin clawed her head and whined. "Aagh, enough! Stop talking already! Just hand me the printouts!"

Tougou chuckled which naturally infuriated her friend even further than before.

 _But it's worth it._ Truly, Karin was such a pure girl, but Tougou found that side of hers cute. Heroes were given the power to fight exactly because of that. Not because of something like chosen destiny or a curse, but because of the strength of the hearts – the spirit, so to speak.

Suppressing a laugh, Tougou wondered if a wicked person like her possessed an ounce of courage that shone as brightly as Karin's. It wasn't like she had overflowing optimism and she understood that it was just who she was.

However, if that was truly the case—

"Agh…! Geez, _fine!_ I'll go get it myself!"

 _Oops, looks like I spurred her on too much…_ "Now, now. I think I already have the next task ready for someone like you, Karin-chan…"

The girl with twintails brightened. Tougou appraised that expression and spoke once again.

"Karin-chan, you seem so eager today. Did something happen?"

The girl blinked, her head raised slightly and yet she looked away with a hand on her waist.

"There's nothing." She said.

"Really? Well, if you say so." Tougou nodded and handed the brunette a printout. "The next request is this."

Karin snatched it out of the wheelchair-bound girl's hand, read it and made a sound. It didn't look like she had a problem with finding a person who could shelter a stray cat in, but she took a closer look on the printout...

"Wait," said the brunette as she threw a blank gaze at Tougou. "Earlier, what do you mean by 'someone like me'?"

The girl in the wheelchair pointedly ignored the questions directed at her in favor of wheeling away and returning back to her post.

"Oy, Tougou? Are you listening? _Hey...!_ "

* * *

On the other hand…

While some children were having a blast with their youth, others were bogged down by an issue that could not be neglected. For example, facing the difficulty of using another medium to convey their voice. Such an example was…

"Itsuki, what's wrong?" A blonde-haired girl lifted her head and met the gaze of her sister. "Hmm? Why the long face?"

 _Eh?_ Itsuki muttered in confusion, only to realize that there was no sound coming out of her mouth.

Her hand immediately darted to snatch her sketchbook and write a question on it.

 _'Did I look like that?'_

Fuu nodded, causing her little sister to twitch her lips upward. _I guess I really couldn't hide anything from Onee-chan…_

Should she tell her? To tell the truth, she wasn't sure of it. The two were going to be discharged soon, but that didn't mean right now. There was still time, and the test result of the last medical check-up has yet to arrive…

 _…If it's like that, then there's no difference than before, right…?_

Nodding down, Itsuki scribbled out another question. That question was shown to her older sister and the girl blinked her eyes twice.

"'Can I visit Hyoudou-senpai again?'" Fuu read out loud. "…Itsuki, are you sure? The last time we visited, you…"

Itsuki nodded as if to cut off Fuu's words and clutched her sketchbook tight. Not because she didn't want to remember the sight that made her reel back, but because…

It was because Itsuki understood her own flaws better than anyone, even her own sister. When she enrolled in Sanshu Middle School that spring, she had difficulty in making friends or even talking about herself. It took so much time and hard work for her to truly connect with her classmates, and even then, she kept most of her opinions to herself.

That was why… Exactly because of that that she wanted to improve herself and become a better person than she was.

 _Otherwise, I won't be able to move forward,_ Itsuki thought. _Otherwise, I'm going to stay in Onee-chan's shadow forever._

She hoped her message was conveyed, and after a while…

Fuu nodded. "Sure thing. I'll try to ask for permission first, okay?"

The expression of the girl with short blonde hair visibly brightened. As if something flipped a switch, Fuu smiled back and patted Itsuki's head. _Ah, Onee-chan…!?_

Before she could complain, her older sister walked away and left the door. Itsuki deflated and soon sighed. Turning her gaze to the windows, she saw the clear afternoon sky and the scenery of the town.

Far beyond the buildings and houses was a blue area that sparkled with light. Sometimes they were weak and small, and sometimes they were wide and bright like sunshine. Itsuki left her bed and opened the windows, feeling the salty summer winds entering and circulating around the room.

The girl didn't know how much time had passed, but then she perked up upon hearing rushing footsteps from behind her. Itsuki looked over her shoulder—

" _What!? He suddenly disappeared from his room ever since this morning!?_ _ **Are you kidding me!?**_ _"_

Itsuki took a deep breath in until her lungs were full of air. She rested her cheek on her hand with her elbow on the windowsill, and then she let out a long sigh.

 _Hyoudou-senpai, does becoming stronger mean breaking the laws and inconveniencing everyone most of the time…?_

She wondered if it was the right decision to look up to someone like her male upperclassman.


	41. Chapter 35 - In Anticipation of Tomorrow

"Hmm…" Issei frowned and rubbed his chin while behind him, the sun hung far above the twisted ruin of the Great Bridge. "How's this?"

"Mmm, it's unbalanced…" Sonoko tapped her cheek with her left index finger. "I'm not sure those are the correct coloration of human eyes. Your forearms are longer than normal, and your back is broader than how it's supposed to be."

"…So it's a failure."

"It's a failure~" Sonoko beamed.

It didn't take long for Issei to sigh. He released his focus and his mind strained as if a block of lead fell onto his head, pressuring him ever so slightly with an increasing growth of size and weight.

At the same time, wisps of light scattered from around his body.

His red wings grew back and expanded, his horns branching out from his skull and red scales replaced his human skin once more.

Once the transformation was done, Issei rubbed the bridge of his nose before he sat down next to Sonoko's bed.

"Okay, so…" The boy raised a hand and flex his now clawed digits. "While I can transform parts of my body at will, shrinking them and hiding them from plain sight is difficult as hell."

"Well, you _did_ think of it as restraining…" Sonoko looked up as if recalling some past memories. "Han-kun, you need a better focus. You will be able to live normally again if you can turn this 'shapeshifting' into a subconscious thing."

"Like being ambidextrous, right?" Issei groaned at the thought of more training. "That's going to take a very long time for me… I don't want to skip school and waste my youth."

"But you can't walk around looking like a hybrid- _kaiju_ …"

 _Owch, now that stings._ He knew that Sonoko didn't mean any ill will but her assessment of his appearance was as precise as a sniper headshot.

"It'd be good if I can speed up the process…" Issei ran his hand over his messy brown hair and blew air through his nose.

He had only a few options left to commit. A crash course about magic spells from his father, a sudden training regime, or have Sonoko put on the disguise spell while he try to avoid any chance that might reveal his true identity which would be doomed from the very start so – _wait minute, isn't there something else I'm forgetting?_

Issei paused and then turned his gaze toward his left arm. He raised the hand as the red scales and claws reflected the midday sunlight, and he flipped his forearm around several times as if trying to confirm something.

The boy nodded before he met his friend's gaze. "Say, Sonoko-chan."

"Hmm? What is it?"

"Try holding my horn."

Issei leaned forward and lowered his head. Naturally, he did not move suddenly since there were pointy branches ther—

"Agh!?" Issei cried out as a strong force gripped his horn near the base and _pulled_ as if yanking it. "Owowowww!? S-Sonoko- _san!?_ That hurts!"

"Ehh? But you say 'hold'…"

" _Gently!_ Hold it _gently_ or maybe just touch it!"

Sonoko made a dissatisfied sound. Why was she doing that? Could it be to blow off some stress? Well, Issei could understand since being strapped to bed for a long time was a genuine hell on earth, but did she really have to take it out on him?

"How's this?" Sonoko loosened her grip and slid her hand on the branching horn attached to the right side of Issei's head. "Uhm… I haven't exercised for a while… I can't hold back my strength."

Issei shifted a glance at the blonde. "Uh, so it's not intentional…?"

"Well~" Sonoko's smile widened. "What do you think?"

 _I'm afraid to know the answer, now…_

Either way, Sonoko had assisted and Issei relaxed his shoulders. Issei recalled what Yuuna did to restore his left arm back to normal, and though he didn't know how, it must be related to physical contact.

All he needed now was to wait for a miracle, so…

"Let me rest a little." The boy plopped his head onto the bedside. "If you're tired, then maybe we should change positions, Sonoko-chan."

"Changing position, huh…?" Sonoko laughed as quiet as a sea breeze. "That sounds nice. I'll try to use that in my novel."

 _Huh,_ Issei wondered aloud at her muttering. There was a thought about why Sonoko would consider his words as interesting to use but he was talking normally, right?

He didn't imply anything bad, right? _Right?_

 _Setting that aside…_ Issei rolled his gaze upward and to the right corner. He felt the warm hand on his horn, and he admitted that there was a… tingling sensation, as if a bell was chiming.

[…Oh. To think that even she's capable of 'tuning' without any guidance…]

Issei stayed still before he asked his battle partner. _Ddraig, what do you mean by that?_

[I'll explain after you rest. Just relax and trust this priestess.]

"…Priestess…?" Issei involuntarily made a sound.

He looked up at Sonoko. Her brown eye reflected his confused face, and the light residing in there shimmered. All the meanwhile her left hand slid far enough down his right horn that he could feel her pinky and ring finger brushing the area close to his ear.

 _It feels nice,_ he thought absentmindedly. _But, should I ask her?_

Issei didn't know if he should. He was never good at acting subtle for the sake of others, though he had trained himself to be better at it. Still, something was telling him he had to ask or else he would regret it.

That was why…

"Actually," The boy looked to the side for a bit. "I heard from my old man that the Heroes are qualified to be Shrine Maidens as well… How does that even work?"

Sonoko made an 'Oh' sound. She seemed surprised at his question, but it was as if she was expecting something else.

 _Wow, I'd be the most arrogant person out there if I think I can read Sonoko-chan's mind so easily like this._

"Hmm…" The blonde craned her head upward a bit before she looked back at her friend. "Han-kun, do you want the short version or the long version?"

 _Now, then. If it's that…_

"…Short is fine."

Sonoko nodded at his reply and looked ahead of her. While the viewing spot stood before a small beach, it was also surrounded by a park that was filled with trees and grassy fields. As far as Issei knew, that land was once an empty lot meant for family recreation like picnics, sports and other outdoor events. However, time passed and something changed.

That 'something' was the planting of at least a hundred trees and reshaping the landscape into a place that looked like a small forest.

"Let's go back a little," Sonoko started. "At the end of the Old Era, children with special potential were born among the populace. This potential, so to speak, is an aptitude that allows them to communicate with beings that are outside the norm such as Gods, Demons, and Divine Spirits."

Issei quirked his eyebrows. That sounded… similar to how Sacred Gears appeared.

Sacred Gears were gifts blessed by the Biblical God for mankind to resist against supernatural threats. Ddraig had said that any human could possess them but Sacred Gears were 'apparently' picky in choosing their hosts, and there was no use trying to track who would possess them.

 _Then,_ Issei thought. _What's the difference here?_

"When the end of the world arrived, Shinju-sama descended and rooted itself in Shikoku. However, Vertexes appeared as if following after Shinju-sama's emergence." Sonoko paused and inhaled. "With the threat they represent, a plan was made."

"…A plan…?"

The girl nodded. "Only chosen children with the purest of hearts are capable of borrowing Shinju-sama's immense power. Shinju-sama is a conglomeration of Gods, so Han-kun… Do you understand now?"

Issei looked up to his friend and stayed quiet for a moment. He then gave an understanding look.

"Taisha scouted out children who have the necessary aptitude to fight," Issei deduced. "And those warriors… the Heroes act on behalf of Shinju-sama, so that marks them as a God's priestesses, right?"

Sonoko's smiled faded a little. "That's right, although I'm not sure about Heke-san since he's under the jurisdiction of the Greek Faction ruled by Zeus."

Issei stilled at the sudden namedrop that strangely caused goosebumps to crawl up his spine.

"I feel like I'm forgetting something _very_ important, but…" Issei pursed his lips. "I'd rather die than growing up into an adult like _that guy_ or that Zeus-guy."

"Heh he… That sounds just like you."

There was a ringing sound.

Issei almost jolted back since the sound almost pierced his eardrums. He soon realized that was because his senses had become a lot sharper than before, and the news shocked him so much he lost the chance to speak.

He almost wondered if that was a good thing. He looked up since the sound was way too close for comfort when suddenly a smartphone appeared from thin air right above him.

The phone was held by a _hakama_ -clad tubby crow with a mascot-like appearance. Its eyes were wide and devoid of light but the spherical bird opened its beak and pronounced life sign with a short and energetic chirping.

Problem was, the thing went and dropped its entire weight onto Issei's head as if it was nobody's business. It even landed on the area that had no scales or even horns!

" _Bwagh!?_ " Issei cried out as he got his face buried in the bed.

"Oh my," said Sonoko. "Sebastian, what is it? You can't do that, you know? Han-kun is my – huh, a phone call?"

 _What? What do you mean by that!? Why are you stopping there!? Or rather, HELP ME ALREADY!_

Much to Issei's stretching agony, the tubby bird on his head clawed his scalp with its feet and pressured him to stay in place. The strength it exerted was terrifying despite its overall size that it was next to impossible to even lift his head.

Furthermore, Sonoko ignored him by answering the phone call. She greeted the caller in a normal way instead of using her singsong tone, and—

"Oh? Hyoudou-san? Yes. Mhm. Ah, Han-kun is in bed with me right now."

 _Oooooooooooyyy!?_

* * *

Thirty minutes later, Issei was back in his room at the hospital.

Needless to say, he received a severe scolding from the doctor, the nurse, and also his parents. It took another hour until the chaos subsided and even then, he was banned from leaving the hospital for an extended duration.

All Issei could do at that point was to curse the heaven out loud, only to receive a smack to the head for suddenly shouting like a crazy guy by his parents.

"Well, anyway…" Issei's father rubbed the back of his head as he forced Issei to bow down in front of his friends. "I'm sorry for troubling you girls. Everything's fine now."

"H-Haa…" Yuuna commented, torn between looking troubled and relieved. "A-At least Senpai is here so it's a good thing, r-right?"

Issei was sure the redhead had stuttered. That wasn't a good sign. Not many could shake Yuuna unless it was something big like making a conspicuous mistake that inconvenienced others.

 _On the other hand…_

The boy shifted his gaze to the person sitting right beside Yuuna. Fuu was giving him the stink eyes and next to her, Itsuki was showing a bitter smile.

The day wasn't over yet so the remaining members of the Hero Club were still at school – a definite blessing in disguise since Issei could predict himself being roasted by Tougou and Karin for _hours_ if they were to know – so the situation further evolved beyond his control.

Now, Issei was strapped to his bed _literally_ , his mother and father present at one side of the bed, and three of his friends were at the opposite side with _none_ of them capable of staying idle for some unknown reasons.

The ones filling the silence were only his parents who talked with each other as if there was no end of it.

The content of their conversation, on another hand… It was not good. Specifically for Issei.

"Dear, what should we do? Our boy is turning into a delinquent…" His mother lamented.

"Don't worry! He hasn't crossed the line so we can still do something. I promise, Kanae!" His father vowed.

The peanut gallery naturally had their attention grabbed by the back-and-forth between the adults. As for Issei who was the child of said two adults… He planted both of his hands onto his face and whimpered.

[In a better circumstance, you would have thought of this as a good thing, right?] Ddraig asked.

 _In a better circumstance, not in_ this kind _of circumstance_!

"I see. Yes, I will leave it to you, then." The boy's mother nodded, and then turned to meet the gawking gazes of his friends with a smile on her face. "Now, then. You are Yuuki-san, and the two of you are Inubouzaki-san, yes?"

"Eh?!" Yuuna gasped. "E-Err, yes!"

"Umm, it is nice to meet you, Hyoudou-san." Fuu bowed down with Itsuki following in suite.

"I see, I see! Such sweet girls!" Kanae beamed.

It was at that time that Issei felt a creeping sense of dread clutching his heart. He didn't know why, and he didn't understand what was happening, but… Something was telling him, at that specific moment, that he was going to regret being around this particular group of people.

He was definitely going to—

"So," his mother said as she clapped her hands together. "Who is the lucky girl that made you fall head-over-heel with, Ise?"

 _Okay, time to fucking bail – oh, wait, I'm tied to the bed, goddamn iiittt!_

* * *

Several days later, everyone had been discharged from the hospital and were allowed to go back to school.

Naturally, the state of the Hero Club garnered attention right away. Fuu suddenly wore a black eye-patch on her left eye while Itsuki suddenly became more timid than before by using a sketchbook as a medium to communicate.

While it didn't seem like anything was wrong, there were certainly some signs of curiosity mixed with anxiety among the students who were close to members of Hero Club.

As for the resident pervert of Sanshu Middle School who 'allegedly' had reformed himself and skipped school for more times than necessary…

"Made it in time!"

Slamming open the door leading to the rooftop, a brown-haired boy limped forward, stumbled, and then fell over his feet. He reflexively curled his body and that caused him to roll around for several times before finally stopping to move a few feet behind a small shrine.

[What about your clothes?]

When a voice echoed in his head, the boy immediately got up and took off his gakuran and the shirts underneath it. He stripped off with haste so a ripping sound could be heard here and there but it was better than the alternative.

At any rate, he unclothed his top and then braced himself for the inevitable.

"Ugggghhhh…" A strained, almost bestial growl leaked out as familiar wisps of light dispersed around him. "…Gah! Damn, that was tiring!"

Issei flopped down and sat in lotus position. Summer winds blew through the rooftop and stroke his uncovered chest. After feeling the winds, he rotated his shoulders and hung his head; exhaustion written all over his face.

Mind you, he wasn't growing a taste to exhibitionism. The boy looked back at his _dragon wings_ that stretched to his elbow-length and he exhaled.

"Is this good enough of an improvement, Ddraig?" Issei grabbed his fallen shirts and gakuran and folded them. "Looks like I can at least keep the form up until lunch break."

[Indeed,] the Red Dragon Emperor's voice reverberated inside his head. [The disguise spell can certainly hide how you truly look, but the problem you're having cannot be dealt with in a normal way. That's why…]

"Focusing the shapeshifting only on the conspicuous parts seems to be the right way to do this." Issei finished with a nod. "I can keep the horns down and hide them with my hair, but the claws and wings are nasty business so they have to disappear above all else. The scales can just be hidden with illusion magic."

He wouldn't want to harm someone by accident anyway, and making problems was straight out counter-productive to the goal he had set up for himself.

With that being said, his training had paid off a little. Now Issei could once again enjoy his school life even if it was only temporarily.

"But I don't like making up excuses every time my concentration slipped…" Issei sighed, "I already used the 'going to the toilet' excuse three times in a row now. People are getting suspicious…"

[…Honestly, I'm more curious about why you would keep living among the humans despite your current nature.]

"Well, I can't help it, you know?"

Issei looked past the small shrine situated at the rooftop and to the cloudless sky above.

"I don't have the urge to eat human flesh and I don't have any desire to grab a bunch of shiny jewels." He propped his elbow on his hip and rested his cheek on his right hand. "I'm still a human on the inside, Ddraig. It's not like I don't have any attachment with my original lifestyle."

Although, in reality, a large part of it was because the Hero Club was there that he kept on attending school. It might be selfish and strange but Issei could only imagine the place where he hung out the most rather than homework whenever the word 'school' popped out.

Did that mean he went to school simply because he wanted to make friends? How much of a lonely loser was he to subconsciously crave friendship?

[Attachment, huh…?] Ddraig delivered an image of him shaking his head. [Dragons are attached to their hoard, partner. And in my kind's language, 'hoard' can mean material or immaterial things.]

Issei blinked, then perked up his head. "Are you serious, Ddraig?"

[Well, you certainly have the affinity of a dragon more so than your peers,] Ddraig noted. [Didn't I tell you before? Had you been born as a dragon, you would be a role model. A bunch of females would definitely flock to you.]

Well, now… Issei wasn't sure if that was a compliment or not. Being born as a wrong species sounded ridiculous but he couldn't deny that he never clicked with most people around his age due to his straightforward-to-a-fault personality…

 _But if I was born a dragon, I would never know the Hero Club or even Sonoko-chan…_

As Issei felt a creeping sense of existential crisis, the door to the rooftop groaned and he looked back, meeting the gaze of one Miyoshi Karin.

" "…Huh?" "

For some reasons, both of them muttered out the same thing.

Issei blinked as Karin mirrored his expression. Seconds passed, and the first to break the silence was…

"Why aren't you covering your upper body?" Karin frowned and gave a disgusted glare. "How low can you be as a pervert, huh!?"

"Wha – _no!_ This is a misunderstanding! At least hear me out first, Karin-chan…!"

* * *

In the end, it took almost fifteen minutes for Karin to accept his reasoning.

However, because they were already wasting away most of lunch break, the two went back and headed to their classroom. Issei had worn his uniform back and walked behind his friend, but the silence was slowly weighing down the air around them.

"Errm, so…" Issei braced himself for the inevitable. "…Did you need something from me?"

"Of course not," Karin swiftly denied the walls and aimed for the heart. "I just want to get some fresh air. Yuuna and Tougou went off to clear some requests and the classroom is way too noisy."

 _Ah,_ Issei thought as understanding dawned on him. _So she's lonely, huh. Typical Karin-chan._

"…Wait, stop. What's with the silent response!? Don't just assume I'm lonely!"

"No, no. As if I'd do that." Issei smiled and waved when Karin looked back at him. "I know. It's okay, Karin-chan. I can understand you just fine."

"You're doing it! You're totally misunderstanding my words!"

After filtering through the rows of harsh words that _definitely_ had no meaning besides defending her wounded pride, Issei walked side-by-side with his classmate. Karin remained glaring at him but even that had lost some intensity.

Combined with her irritated expression, the girl looked like she was pouting. _And that's fine by me since it's cute!_

"Mgh… Ah, forget it." Karin shook her head and eased the tension riding on her shoulders as she walked a little faster. "So… you still have some trouble, huh?"

 _Troubles…?_ Issei raised an eyebrow before he caught the implication.

He was thinking of how strict Karin was to herself and to others but he realized it was merely because she treated everything fairly and seriously. Karin was a Hero assigned by Taisha, so she had the obligation to keep any Hero-related business off the public ears.

That included Issei's true circumstance.

[Clever one, this one is.] Ddraig praised. [Count yourself lucky, partner. Her vigilance may help you if you want to drive off the remaining Strays scattered throughout this region.]

 _…Why would Strays be related with this?_ Issei had no idea what Ddraig was talking about so he let that advice be shelved until he was back at home. _I mean, well, that can be for later, alright? For now.._

"I'm trying to resolve it, though." Issei scratched his cheek and grinned. "There's nothing to worried about, Karin-chan."

The brunette hummed. She sounded as if she didn't care which troubled him a bit, but…

"What about you? Have you been doing well?"

Karin's steps fell for a beat. She regained her composure right after but she tilted her head as she looked at him from the side.

"Of course I am," Karin replied with a huff. "I'm perfecting my skills, eat supplements daily and I haven't forgotten to eat dried sardines."

"Errm… I don't think that's a good rhythm for a lifestyle, Karin-chan…"

The girl ignored his words and settled with a simple but sharp 'suck it up' response. What a troublesome person… Even the talk died somehow, so the quiet awkward air regrew and multiplied itself.

Then Karin suddenly spoke.

"I have a hypothetical question."

Issei slowed his pace and looked to the side, but his friend kept her gaze up and ahead as if what she said counted as talking to herself.

"For example," Karin said. "For example, okay? What if you have a childhood dream and after a long time and years of hard work… you finally made it come true ?"

Issei kept his words to himself. He didn't ask what that mean and simply listened. He had a feeling there was a continuation to Karin's speech – and he was soon proven right.

"Now that there's nothing more to pursue… What are you supposed to do?"

"…By any chance, is that question directed to me?"

Karin did not deign an answer.

Due to that, Issei raised his right hand and placed two fingers on his chin. He pondered with a hum, trying to make sense of the information he had acquired. Then he asked himself what he would do if his dream came true after he worked hard for it...

"…That's a good question," Issei said after a long while. "If I really become a Harem King in the future, that means my lifetime dream will end. At that point, I…"

 _What will I do?_

That question rang and echoed inside his mind, taking almost every space of his head in a moment's notice. To tell the truth, he didn't expect himself to be bogged down by a short and simple question like that. It was strange and unbelievable, and it was also terrifying since Issei couldn't begin to imagine his dream being fulfilled even in the distant future.

After all, what he sought for was an ending where he could be happy together with his loved ones.

 _But,_ something inside of him whispered. _Even so, even if it seems impossible to acquire… All I need to do is strive with all of my strength, wits, and spirits for that._

Issei spun around his thoughts and proceeded with that line of thinking. What if, for some reason or other, he achieved his dream at some point? Should that day actually arrive… what would he do? He let the thought sinking in, and...

"…I don't know."

"…Huh?"

Before they knew it, the two had stopped walking once again. The noise of the students seemed subdued, and it was as if they did not care that they were standing in the middle of the hallway.

While being in such a situation, Karin stared back at Issei who cast his gaze down to the floor.

"I wouldn't know what I am supposed to do if that were to happen," the boy confessed. "Maybe I'm going to relish the feeling that I could achieve something. Maybe I'm going to laugh and tell the others that I did what they thought as impossible. But in all seriousness… I don't know what I will do."

Wasn't that the wrong answer?

Wouldn't that mean he would have nothing left to pursue? People always said that without a goal driving them, then there would be no point in living. Humans always desired purpose in life and strove for that purpose, and Issei was no different in that regard.

Well, except for one point, that is.

"…Even if my dream came true, I…" Issei took a sharp breath in. "I guess I will do what I'm always best at."

"And that is…?"

The boy smiled. "Keep on living and have fun, maybe?"

For a short time there was silence.

Then Karin snorted, shaking her head while Issei's smile crumbled bits by bits upon seeing that reaction.

"I shouldn't have asked…" The girl lamented.

"What do you mean by that, oy!? Wasn't it _you_ who asked first!? Hey, don't ignore me!"


	42. Chapter 36 - Idyllic Happiness

As night replaced twilight, Issei opened the front door of his home by pushing it open with his body rather than doing it normally.

He limped his way in, muttering 'I'm back…' with tiredness leaking out from his barely moving mouth. His mother's response was kind and soothing but since he didn't sense his father's presence, the only child of the Hyoudou couple looked around curiously upon entering the dining room.

"…Huh," Issei said upon noting the untouched dinner meant for two people. "Dad isn't back yet?"

"He said he will be a little late today," his mother replied while the sound of running tap water came from the kitchen. "You should take a bath first, Ise. Don't worry, food can be reheated if it goes cold."

Well… Since he was given an offer, he might as well take it, right? Issei nodded and dragged himself to the bathroom. He made sure his focus didn't waver until he had taken off the last piece of clothing, but it was still a difficult and straining task for him considering how tiresome his day was.

Once he sank himself in the bathtub, Issei couldn't exactly remember how much time had passed.

He was sure he did something. He remembered almost drowning in the bathtub, he remembered changing his clothes into t-shirts and shorts, and he remembered walking back to the dining room for dinner.

After that was… After that, what happened?

"…Hmm?" The boy roused himself within the dark confine of a lightless room. "…This is… my room? Ah, did I fall asleep…?"

Probably, he did. He recalled climbing the stairs but before all that? Nothing other than thick hazes and vague images.

"…Haa. This is bad." Issei sighed as he repositioned his head to relax better. "Why is it that I'm feeling tired so easily when I'm no longer a human?"

The answer appeared after several beats.

[Shapeshifting requires considerable amount of efforts to stay active. Not only does it require constant awareness of the ideal image you want to be, it also consumes your magical energy and stamina.] Ddraig grunted. [Despite how basic and useless the technique is for the likes of me, it's certainly an extremely advanced skill to master for humans and hatchlings like you.]

 _…Huh, is that how it is?_

[That's how it is.]

Issei groaned. He placed his right forearm on his forehead and closed his eyes. The darkness around him was somewhat warded off by the windows. They were left to let the moonlight enter the room, so the atmosphere didn't feel necessarily anxious to him. However…

"…Say, Ddraig," Issei called out. "Since the battle is over… What should I do next?"

There was no immediate response, so he took that as a cue to clarify what he meant.

"I mean… I put myself in danger, trained until I coughed and shed tears of blood so that I can protect my friends and my family, but…" Issei raised his left hand upward as if trying to grasp the ceiling. "For someone like me who's not good at anything other than making troubles, fighting is all I have left to show my usefulness."

[Do you dislike having that value taken away from you, partner?] Ddraig scoffed. [You think you're no longer worth of anything then.]

The boy laughed. It wasn't ridiculing or even self-deriding, but it was a fact that his laughter sounded hollow. Issei knew better than anyone when it came to himself.

"I guess," said he. "Maybe I just want justification to my existence. I mean… What _else_ am I supposed to do? I'm a pervert, a big loser, and the girls at school despise me for who I am."

But he couldn't change himself. He wouldn't want to lie to himself, and nobody had the right the dictate who he should be. For one, to deny himself would mean killing himself and forcibly changing his personality meant he was masking his true feelings for the sake of others, not for himself.

 _And even if I want to change myself…_

"It's already too late, anyway." Issei dropped his arm to the bed and rolled his body face the windows. "I only have, maybe eight months at maximum. By the time I become a third-year, Fuu-senpai will have graduated and I probably won't be in the same class with Yuuna-chan, Karin-chan, or even Tougou-san."

He wondered if he would be separated from his friends. He didn't really mind not being in the same class with Matsuda and Motohama, but he would miss talking about his hobby and visual novels with them. _I can talk about that sort of stuff only with those two, anyway…_

"Not to mention everyone's going to be busy with exams and which high school they are going to …" The boy raised and lowered his shoulders. "Do you think I can reform myself successfully when I can hardly keep my true identity away from the entire townspeople?"

[…Well, I suppose not,] Ddraig conceded after staying quiet for a short while. [What will you do then, partner? You're driving yourself into a corner.]

"Yeah… I wonder what I should do."

 _Maybe I should try to purify myself and be an ascetic? At least I can improve my karma and morale while spending the rest of my ridiculously long lifespans, that way…_

[You sure you can do that? Becoming an ascetic means you're going to stay single for the rest of your life.]

Issei blinked. "…Oh. I didn't think of that. Guess I'll give up on becoming a hermit then."

At any rate, the talk died down and now there was only the comfort of silence and faint noise coming from the outside. Taking a deep breath in, Issei wondered how tomorrow would greet him, and he asked himself what kind of future he wanted to see.

"…Even though I said that to her…" Issei chuckled and closed his eyes once again. "Guess we're not that different, huh."

Time passed, and darkness embraced him. Issei felt his consciousness drifting away and he decided to let that be, surrendering himself to the lulls of tranquility.

It might be a blessing that he did not dream that night.

* * *

As the sky turned into lighter blue in coloration, wind blew and rattled the window frames.

Outside of his room, some pigeons landed on the balcony and chirped as loud as they could. It would have been fine if there were only one or two but it turned out there were half a dozen which easily woke him up with a start.

Naturally, he didn't take the natural alarm kindly.

After that, Issei left his room with a slight headache pestering him. He just realized that sleeping soundly meant losing focus and that was bad. He didn't like how his horns stabbed into his pillow or how his wings felt after they got folded due to unconscious changes of sleeping position.

Anyway, he got down after fixing his appearance and greeted his parents.

"Huh," said the boy. "Dad, you've got bags under your eyes."

The man who was his father nursed his temples before he pushed his glasses up his nose. His father didn't forget to groan in complaint.

"You'll understand what I feel once you grow up, my son."

"Egh… I wouldn't want that." Issei took a seat in his usual spot and looked down at the familiar grilled mackerel and miso soup. "I'll pass on working overtime, thank you very much."

His father cackled for some reasons.

That disturbed Issei a little but he decided that satiating his hunger took higher priority than arguing about silly things. He clasped his hands, gave his gratitude for the food and began eating. _Hmm, now which should I try first? The soup or the fish?_

"By the way, Ise." His father leaned forward, rested his chin on his entwined fingers and smiled. "After your end-of-term tests, make sure you prepare some clothes and swimsuit. Preferably for three days and two nights."

Issei looked up and met the man's dark brown gaze.

"What's the occasion?" Issei grabbed the mug filled with warm green tea close to his dishes and took a sip.

"We're going on a trip to a resort house in Marugame," his father answered. "It might be sudden but the appointment has already been made."

"Oh, that sounds grand alright."

Issei placed down the mug, expelled a rejuvenated sigh and resumed eating his breakfast. The fish went in first, the warm rice followed, and finally, he drank his soup once he properly swallowed the food down.

However, the miso soup made by his mother always had a powerful flavor. Issei decided that it was time to wash the taste in his mouth and so he drank his tea again.

"By the way, it's a Taisha-sponsored event exclusive for the Hero Club so try to score some flags, alright?"

The hot liquid went down the wrong pipe.

* * *

Later on, one Yuuki Yuuna blinked when she saw her classmate stumbling his way into the classroom.

The brown-haired boy looked weary and he was sweating a lot. Right after he slumped down in his chair, the bells rang and the homeroom teacher appeared shortly after. Since she was reviewing lessons so that she wouldn't be caught off-guards if a pop quiz were to suddenly appear, there wasn't enough time for her to go to her friend and ask what was wrong.

 _Now that I think about it,_ Yuuna thought before she shifted her gaze to her other friend. _Karin-chan has been acting weird lately…_

The brunette was the same fiery girl she had always been, but she certainly took on a lot of requests and rarely stayed in the club room for an extended period of time. Yuuna wondered if Karin was troubled about something, since she was a serious girl like Tougou.

 _…Should I ask the others what they think?_

Yuuna almost immediately nodded. Yeah, there was nothing wrong with being worried about her friends, and it was better to consult with someone when something bothered your mind. It was one of Hero Club's Five Tenets, after all.

 _I just hope it's not a—_

"Huh?" Yuuna blinked as she felt a stare directed at her. "…Uh, Ise…senpai?"

There he was. The boy who was her friend was looking at her. When she looked back, Issei averted his gaze and relocated it to Karin, then to Tougou. _What…?_

As if he had remembered something that scarred him mentally, the boy clawed his head and then dropped his forehead to his table with a solid _thunk._

 _…Ah, he knocked himself out._

* * *

Although her hero could be weird sometimes, it looked like he could level up and become even weirder. Yuuna wondered if that was alright, and she questioned herself if she should think of this as something normal and thus not something she should be bothered with.

"Tcheh. Fine, fine. Bye then."

Afterschool arrived like the dashing clouds.

On one hand, classes were over. On the other hand, there was club activity and Issei had a valid reason why he did not want to attend it for once. However, despite letting the girls go off first, he tried to hang out with his buddies—

"Die, you normie!"

…Well, that was that. Issei sighed as he walked away from the idiot duo and took his school bag with him. He could excuse himself early by texting a message, right? When Issei pulled out his smart phone – a hand suddenly darted from behind him and grabbed it.

"Now… then." A familiar voice dripping with malicious intention drifted to his ears.

Being surprised would be an understatement. Issei knew whose voice that was and cold chills ran down his spine. He didn't want to look back, but that would mean something even _worse_. He was trapped between a rock and a hard place!

"So, Issei…" The feminine voice called out from behind his right ear. "You see, there's a weird mail sent to my place this morning, and the sender turned out to be from Taisha. Do you know what the mail is all about?"

Issei shuddered as a muffled giggling began to slip out. _Oh no, I have to escape but how!?_

[…Maybe try to answer her question?]

His instinct decided that the suggestion was better than any other alternatives.

"E-Errm…! Umm…!" He stuttered. "Uh… N-Nope! What is, what is it all about, _Fuu-senpai…?_ "

In the next moment the hand that covered his smartphone removed itself… and then Issei got his head turned sideways to meet his senior's smile that definitely, absolutely did _not_ reach her light green eye.

"Then," Fuu said as she raised a luxurious brown envelope with an expensive seal cut in halves to signify it having been opened beforehand. "Do you have any idea about _why_ your parents' names are in the letter as _the_ official guardian for the members of the Hero Club during this sudden three-day and two-night holiday trip?"

Issei soon realized he could do nothing but to give up and swear vengeance on his father after all this farce was over.

 _If_ he could survive first, of course.

* * *

"What… So you didn't even know about it until this morning?" Fuu exasperated. "Should've told us that earlier, you dummy."

"Well, you didn't take 'no' as an answer, senpai…!"

The girl waved off Issei's complains and sighed for the umpteenth time. Meanwhile, the rest of the club members looked at the two of them as if spectating a sports match which somehow disturbed Issei on several levels.

Really, was the argument _that_ entertaining for them that they did not put a rest to it?

"Now now," Tougou said as she turned her wheelchair and rolled past the space between Issei and Fuu. "I think this trip can help us releasing the built up stress we have ever since we were given our Hero duty. At least you can give Issei-san the benefits of doubt, right? Fuu-senpai?"

"Ugh… That's true, but still…" Fuu tapped the space between her eyebrows and closed her left eye. "I'd have like to know this a little sooner. There's not enough time for preparation…"

"What preparation do you mean, Fuu-senpai?" Yuuna tilted her head.

Fuu hummed and raised her right hand to begin counting with her fingers. "Since the resort house is close to the sea, new swimsuits and watermelons. Also stuff to play at the beach like surfing boards, swimming rings, buckets and shovels to dig out some clams."

"Oooh…! They do sound important!"

While Fuu stated a loud 'Right!? Don't you think so too!?' to Yuuna, Karin could only give a flat stare with Itsuki twitching her lips upward. Issei wished he could be as simple as the latter two, but then Tougou interrupted his thoughts by focusing on him with a prolonged stare.

"...Umm, Tougou-san?" Issei looked at his friend. "What's wrong?"

Tougou blinked and promptly shook her head.

"Oh, it's nothing." She said, "I'm just a little curious. Are you against this trip?"

 _Well, about that…_

"Not really, I guess?" The only male member of the Hero Club shrugged and crossed his arms. "It's just, I've got a lot of things to think about lately so I'm honestly not sure what to do with this. That's all."

His friend thankfully did not broach the subject further. Tougou bobbed her head down twice and turned her wheelchair again so that she was by Issei's side.

"If you have something troubling you, I think you should talk about it with everyone," the girl said. "It's better than bottling it all in, right?"

The boy blinked and looked at his friend. Feeling as if he had forgotten something, he looked around the club room and soon his eyes settled on a photo frame hung above the club's personal blackboard.

"Ah," Issei thought in realization. "Hero Club's Five Tenet, Number Four… "

Tougou giggled. "Oh my. Looks like I was found out."

Yeah… He supposed he got that right. Issei couldn't help but to sigh at Tougou's efforts and yet he found that as comforting. _Probably because someone's looking out for me._

In that sense, responding to that good intention would be proper etiquette, right? Issei lowered his shoulders before he raised his right arm and scratched the back of his head.

"I can try that," he said. "But maybe not here and now. There's too many things to talk about and we still have tests to worry about. Can you give me a little more time, Tougou-san?"

"Of course." Tougou nodded. ""I'll take up your words on that, then. Make sure you don't weasel yourself out of this, okay?"

 _...Scary! How did that answer lead to this!?_

Issei had a feeling Tougou was consciously leaving out the 'Or else…' part from her sentences, and he felt like he had signed his own death sentence. No, not felt. He had already signed the contract without fully being aware of it! He was played like a fiddle!

 _Wait, why does this remind me of Sonoko-chan…?_ Issei paled at the sudden thought. _Could it be, all women can become as terrifying as demons whenever they feel like it?!_

For some reasons, Ddraig answered the dreadful rhetorical question with a faint voice.

[You're… not wrong, partner. Women can be frightening in certain aspects, yeah...]

 _...Why do you sound as if you've been on the receiving end of their ire before!?_

[I'd rather not remember that time if possible. Anyway, I'll just... see you later. Bye, partner.]

 _Eh, what!? Hey! Don't just leave me alone here! Oy, Ddraig...!_

* * *

Like that, time trickled like grains of sand within an hourglass.

For Issei, it was like a blur of moments. Everyone had to focus with end-of-term exams so club activities were canceled until at least a week after the exam. Apparently the teacher in charge of being the club advisor said that it applied to all extracurricular activity, the student council, and also the disciplinary committee.

With that said, it was the first time that Issei had free time to spend after school.

"This feels weird…" The boy commented as he exited the school gates.

"We can still hang out at Kameya, though." Yuuna turned to her best friend and beamed. "Right, Tougou-san?"

"That's true." The black-haired and green-eyed girl nodded. "But our duty as students is to study, so we have to regulate ourselves and keep a proper time schedule. Yuuna-chan, don't forget the study group."

Both Issei and Yuuna reeled back and groaned. From the tone of it, Tougou was serious about the study group they had set up in preparation for the exams, and serious Tougou meant a spartan tutoring from her.

 _We're going to die,_ Issei lamented. _Either our brains will die first or our sanity will._

"...I'm rather surprised that both of you have an aversion to studying," Karin walked past the three and sighed. "Seriously, how come you got chosen by Shinju-sama to protect the world…?"

 _Well, I'm obviously an outlier so…_

"No, Issei. You're no different." Karin shot a glare at him as if she read his mind. "Shinju-sama decides _who_ are allowed to enter the barrier, so you being there is no coincidence."

"Eeeh… But I don't like how that sounds…"

Unfortunately for Issei, Karin did not take no for an answer. He sighed as the group made up solely by the second-year members of Hero Club walked away from school. Halfway through, Karin went off by herself since her apartment was on a different direction, so the group was reduced into a trio.

"...The sunset is dazzling."

Issei perked up once he heard Yuuna's idle comment. He glanced at her but the redhead kept her gaze forward with one hand shielding her eyes from the sunlight. At the same time, Tougou chuckled and looked back to her best friend.

"We're going to switch into our summer uniforms soon, but that is only for a short time," said the wheelchair-bound girl. "Well, unless one wants to stay at school for extra lessons for most of summer break, that is."

Both Issei and Yuuna shuddered unconditionally.

Did Tougou just threaten them indirectly with that? What a masterful way to instill fear in the minds of students – _No, wait, that's not supposed to be a compliment!_

"D-Don't worry, Tougou-san!" Yuuna raised a fist and forced a smile on her face. "We're definitely going to pass the exams! Summer vacation is calling out to us, after all!"

For some reasons, Issei's neighbor who was also a friend, a classmate, a comrade-in-arms, and a fellow club member turned to lock her gaze with his.

"Right, Ise-senpai!?"

 _...Why do you have to drag me along in this!?_

It was prudent for him to preserve his own safety, so Issei took a deep breath in and prepared himself to counter Yuuna's words. However, when he looked at her closely, the sunset gave her cheeks tints of red and the light reflected in her eyes shone like the surface seen from deep in the water.

There was no need to explain why the boy's heart raced.

"Ah, err…" Issei stuttered as he internally wondered why the air feel so hot today. "I… yeah, maybe. I… guess you're right, Yuuna-chan…"

As Yuuna beamed upon having her hope raised to a whole new level, Issei cursed himself internally and wished he could punch himself until he lost consciousness.

Why did he have to be such a softy when he interacted with the girls he liked? He must redeem himself, quick! His wounded pride was crying out for speedy recovery and vengeance!

"A-Anyway!" Issei coughed into his right balled hand. "Now that I think about it, what are the two of you going to do for your personal summer research?"

"Hmm?" Tougou tilted her head and pressed an index finger on her cheek. "...Ah, yes. It's a field research that must span for thirty days, yes? I suppose I will be researching both the local myths and foreign folklores this summer."

...Huh, that sounded both unexpected and expected.

Although Issei knew Tougou was a history nerd with a powerful spirit of patriotism, he didn't expect her to also study about topics that originated from overseas. Why the change of heart?

"Huh? Tougou-san, what are you going to research about?" Yuuna slowed her pace in driving her friend's wheelchair. "Could it be legends about worldwide heroic figures? If that's so, I want to join in!"

"Well... It's not something that interesting, but well…" Tougou smiled. "I'm researching about the etymology of various mythical figures recorded throughout our nation's history. For example, what role does the yomotsu-shikome have and what is her relation with the eight nameless thunder deities who followed after her to chase Izanagi—"

"I'msorrybutIcan'thandlethatsortofstuffevenifit'swithyouTougou-san!"

For the first time, Issei witnessed Yuuna committing a perfect 90-degrees bow that absolutely had no flaw at all. It was also combined with a complete and immediate rejection over a specific topic.

 _...Huh, does that mean Yuuna-chan dislikes hearing ghost stories?_

The boy decided to take note of this discovery. He didn't know why but the thought of knowing more about his friends filled his heart with warm feelings. That was why…

"How about you, Yuuna-chan? What's the theme of your summer project?" Issei asked.

The girl blinked several times as she looked up to the reddening sky that had slowly dissolved into vermilion.

"Hmm," Yuuna hummed in thought. "…Actually, I don't even know what I should do about it."

"Eh?"

That was… unexpected. Was she implying that she would wing it, or did she have absolutely no clue about it?

After Issei gave a sidelong stare, Yuuna darted her eyes away and waved repeatedly as if to deny any form of accusation. "We-Well, it's alright! There's still enough time for me to think about it and I already have an idea! I mean, you know…!"

"…Umm, Yuuna-chan?" Tougou looked back to her friend. "That does not sound convincing at all…"

"Yeah…" Issei bobbed his head in agreement. "Are you sure you're going to be alright?"

"Don't treat me like a failure…! I can do it! I swear, I definitely have something for my research!"

Then wouldn't it be better to share what she had in mind instead of circling around the issue?

Honestly, Issei wasn't sure if he should be relieved or not about this discovery. Well, he didn't mind the sight of a flustered Yuuna since it was cute but as a friend, he was certainly worried about her.

"What about you, Ise-senpai!?" Yuuna suddenly pointed an index finger at Issei. "What's the theme of your summer project?!"

 _Oh, this is bad…_

He didn't expect her to throw the question back at him. Was she trying to drag him down to her level? _So even Yuuna-chan has a devious side…_

Still, he was asked a question so Issei pondered for a bit. What was he going to research about? He was trying to get some references for himself but now the table had turned against him.

Issei quickly dived down into his memory in search of an answer. He had to be quick, but what else was he going to do? What could he do anywa—

 _'You should try stargazing, Nii-chan!'_

For an instance, the boy halted and forgot how to breathe.

He didn't show it on his face, but it was certain that his mind and heart were shaken. Actually, he didn't even expect himself to remember 'that line' in this kind of timing. Why would it appear now?

 _...However…_

"If it were me…" Issei raised his head and looked ahead. "I think I'm going to research about astronomy."

" "…Eh?" "

Was his answer too big of a surprise? Issei had the desire to say something about his friends' views of him but well… That didn't really matter.

After all, he had so many ideas popping up one after another in his head. Even though his answer was nothing more than an offhanded comment, he couldn't see anything wrong with it and to be perfectly honest… Why wouldn't he try it?

"I mean…" The boy rubbed his nape and his gaze swam around as he came up with an excuse. "While it sounds childish, many star constellations and stories surrounding them are rare these days, right?"

Yes. Many things from before the Divine Era had been lost due to the Apocalypse, so the things taught at school were mostly about the homeland and relevant information surrounding it. There were important worldwide events to be noted of but even then, many things had gone missing ever since the end of the Old Era.

"Rediscovering something that had been lost might be worth a shot," Issei reasoned. "I'm sure there are more things beside the twelve horoscopes and the Summer Triangle, so I'm going to camp outside a lot and stargaze… Wait, why are you two looking at me like that?"

'Like that' meant staring at him with blank expressions. Issei wouldn't mind Yuuna doing that since she was Yuuna but why would the intelligent Tougou mirror her reaction? _Did I say something really weird?_

"That… sounds amazing…" Yuuna made an awed sound.

"Un… I didn't expect a reasonable explanation backing up the answer, too." Tougou added.

Well, now. He didn't expect these two girls to be so rude.

"Oh, leave me alone!" Issei shot a glare at his red-haired classmate. "Anyway, I've got my project so that means Yuuna-chan is the only one without a topic yet!"

"Uuu!? B-But that… That's unfair! Ise-senpai's theme is kind of common, isn't it!? That's cheating!"

"What are you talking about? It's first come first serve!"

"Err… Both of you, calm down…!"

As the meaningless banter went back and forth between the three, a gentle wind blew throughout the town dyed in orange.


	43. Chapter 37 - Idyllic Happiness II

The sun showered the land of Shikoku indiscriminately.

The asphalt absorbed the heat and the air distorted when one looked closely at things like running vehicles or particularly well-lit roads. Far away, the noises from the busier parts of the town echoed alongside the singing voice of the cicadas.

It was then that a loud roar passed by the airspace above a beach that faced the Seto Inland Sea.

It signified the presence of an airplane heading straight toward the mainland. The vapor trails left behind by it began right above the Walls as if they had emerged out of thin air.

"…It's hot."

The complaint came from a boy with brown-hair. His unbuttoned light grey shirts were drenched with sweat on the back and some trickled down only to land and evaporate on the sandy ground. It was a blessing that his father had just finished setting up the parasol but that didn't mean anything against the dry climate.

Issei sighed. He took out a bottle of water from his bag and drank it down. As a result, the water contained within the bottle was halved.

"Bwah. The drink's getting warmer," he remarked with a grunt and annoyed gaze set on the plastic container. "How long are we supposed to wait…?"

From beside him a rowdy laughter boomed.

"Now, now. It's our duty to protect the belongings," his father said with a wide grin on his face. "Just think of this as practice, Ise. You haven't even gone on a date yet, right?"

 _Ugh, the old man sure knows where to give critical damage…!_

Because giving an accusing glare did nothing to his father, Issei decided to let the banter slide in favor of preserving his cool. It would be a waste if he collapsed because of some stupid reasons like getting too worked up and it was his first time enjoying summer vacation at a beachside hotel resort.

As if he could waste the chance to have fun while fulfilling one his youthful dreams at the same time.

"…But I didn't expect Taisha to provide even the tour, lodging and food." Issei pulled up his baggy knee-length shorts slightly and crouched down. "Will it be alright, dad?"

"Well, it's the least they can do for being a bunch of useless adults," his father said with a shrug. "I didn't even do anything. The higher-ups just went to my office and handed me the reservations without giving any room for questions."

"That sounds shady…"

He wasn't making a joke but his father laughed loudly. Issei exasperated at the antics of his parent but soon he sensed an approaching group of people. The boy looked behind – and his breaths got caught in his throat.

"Ise-senpai…! We're done changing!" A certain red-haired girl waved.

"We are sorry for taking our time." Close behind her a black-haired girl in an all-terrain beach wheelchair bowed her head.

Then, the third figure was a woman with blonde and black hair. She was pushing Tougou's wheelchair with a bright smile on her face.

"Now now," said his mother. "Mimori-chan, there's nothing to apologize for. Not many shops can provide a substitute for your wheelchair, after all."

"I… Umm, but still, Hyoudou-san…"

While the first group approached the base and entered the shades of the giant parasol, the latter group stood a little farther away. Issei rotated his head to see the remaining members of the Hero Club but the first response he received was a glare from two people.

"Egh. Be careful, Itsuki. He's looking!" The blonde girl with an eyepatch hushed to her little sister.

"Commenting and thinking anything indecent is prohibited." The brunette with twintails huffed and looked away as she placed her hands on her slender waist. "Or rather, stop looking already!"

Issei felt the need to point out that he hadn't said anything yet. He wasn't even focusing on their _swimsuits_ at the moment! Did they even know that he had to keep up an appearance considering his parents and other people were around!?

In the next moment Issei felt his shoulder tapped and he glanced at his father. The boy raised an eyebrow but his father smile strained a little and he pointed at his eyes. _What is–_

"...Oh." Issei immediately closed his eyes.

It was fortunate that the shadow cast by the parasol made it difficult to discern specific details but it wouldn't do if he were to be careless and leave it at that. Hence why Issei concentrated and created the image he had tried to imprint in his mind for a while.

Once he reopened his eyes, Issei asked, "How's this, dad?"

His father only nodded but there was no way to miss the amount of relief residing in his eyes and in his smile. At the same time, the rest of the group entered the shaded area with the girls looking at him and his father for a bit.

"Is there something wrong?" His mother tilted her head. "Both of you are wearing strange faces."

Issei gave a flat gaze. "…Mom, what do you mean by that?"

"Well, you look as if you just caught my favorite glass before it hit the ground."

 _…Ah, looks like it's a close-call._

"Oh. Don't worry about that Kanae," his father said and clapped his hands. "At any rate, let's just enjoy the day so why don't you kids go and have fun as much as you can? We'll call out to you all when it's time to go back to the inn, alright?"

Issei raised his head and exchanged looks with his friends. They all nodded in unison and a row of smiles broke out as they raised their hands into the sky.

"Yaaay!"

* * *

"Alright! Are you ready, Karin-chan?" A red-haired girl waved to check on her friend who was wearing a blindfold. "Hm, looks like you're ready! Here's your weapon, and... Go!"

The blindfolded person – Miyoshi Harunobu's younger sister if Ichiro remembered correctly – grunted as she started walking forward. Leaving footsteps on the sandy beach, the wooden sword held in her hands tipped to the left and right while the girl searched for her target in the darkness.

"This is easy... I've done this countless times before in training!" The young girl paced for several more steps forward before she stopped and raised her sword above her head. "Eat this!"

The swift slash descended and struck a solid object. There were awed cheers with a series of applauses, and the swordswoman took off her blindfold to see a smashed watermelon.

The smashed fruit did not lose its shape entirely. It was struck and taken apart with surgical precision, and the girl pumped her fist with a proud grin spread on her face.

Not too far behind her, her eyepatch-wearing senior raised a hand and announced, "Alright, it's time for watermelons!"

With that, those who were playing in the sea and those who had been making a sandcastle gathered together below the large parasol meant for the Hero Club and their guardian.

The adults were the first ones to take a bite of the watermelon. As Ichiro watched the children dutifully tidying up the mess they left behind, one girl with short blonde hair returned from the sea. The younger Inubouzaki sibling shook her head to get rid of the excess water weighing down her blonde hair.

The last to appear was his son who surged out of the deeper part of the sea like a leaping whale.

"You're late, Issei!" From under the tent the leader of the Hero Club shouted out. "Your share of watermelon is running out, you know?"

"What? That's unfair! Why did you all start without me?!"

"Because we want to eat fresh watermelon, duh!"

Although the boy grumbled, he didn't lose his cool. He simply joined in the festivity. Ichiro chuckled at the sight and received a flat glare, but he knew all too well that his son was just trying to hide his desire to eat something good.

 _Honestly_ , the father thought. _This is really a good thing to see._

As he held an opened can of cold beer, he watched his child interacting with his friends without any restraint. The boy would joke around, try to steal a slice of watermelon his senior had, and get slapped at the wrist for being caught red-handed.

Naturally, the kinder children offered him their portions only to make him worried from whom he should receive.

"Uuh...! That's it! I'll just have one of each!" Issei grabbed a slice from the offered plates and proceeded to devour his gifts all at once.

Shortly after, he made a croaking sound as if something that shouldn't have been swallowed slipped down his throat. Issei's suffering naturally caused a brief moment of panic but Ichiro snorted at that.

It looked like his boy was still immature.

"Gah… I thought I was going to die there." Issei rubbed his neck as drops of sweat lined down his cheeks.

"That is why people always told you to eat slowly." His black-haired friend chided. "You have to regulate yourself if you want to live healthily, Issei-san."

"Ugh, I'm sorry…"

At the exchange, Ichiro rubbed his chin as he raised an eyebrow. _Hoh, I didn't expect Ise to apologize so readily…_

He exchanged glances with his wife and the two silently nodded with a small smile on their faces.

"Well, now. If you understand that, Ise…" Kanae raised her right hand and pointed it to a wooden shack full of people entering and exiting it. "Can you buy us some snacks and drinks from that café? What we have are almost gone."

"Eh? Why me?" Issei looked at his mother for a bit before he hung his head down. "Alright, fine…"

When he was about to leave, his friends raised their voices and demanded for their choice of snacks. Issei's eyes darted around as he tried to memorize the increasing list of orders and once that was finished he slumped his shoulders and left the base.

"Ah, please wait!" The red-haired daughter of the Yuuki family stood up. "Ise-senpai, I'll help out!"

When she dashed off, Ichiro spotted the younger Inubouzaki sibling poking her older sister's shoulder several times. The girl turned around, asked what was wrong and her little sister raised a sketchbook that was written with a sentence written in hiragana.

"Huh, you want to choose for yourself?" Seeing her little sister nodding twice, Fuu hummed in thought. "Well, be sure to stick close to Issei and Yuuna."

At the positive response she received, the older blonde let her sibling go off.

"Don't run! Also, watch out for any perverts, okay, Itsuki!?"

Since the short girl did not bring her sketchbook with her, there was no response. However, her pace slowed down a little and it seemed she was heeding Fuu's advice very well.

"Hmm, I see." Ichiro asked, "Is this how your family's lifestyle look like, Inubouzaki-kun?"

Though he was the girl's superior in Taisha, he knew that the situation warranted no such thing as formality. In that case, it was proper for him to address Fuu like normal, hence the '-kun' honorific.

Judging from the lighthearted smile on her face, Fuu seemed to have interpreted his intention correctly.

"Well, I am Itsuki's older sister, guardian, and also parent," said the older blonde closed her right eye. "At this point, it doesn't feel right on complaining when we are already used to it."

"Is that so…?" His wife suddenly spoke up and clasped her hands together. "The two of you are really close with each other. It's a wonderful sight to behold."

"Eh? Ah, thank you, Hyoudou-san…" Fuu scratched her slightly flushed cheek. "I don't think there's anything odd with this though…?"

"No no. Family is supposed to get along," Kanae replied. "As a mother and as an adult, I understand it well so believe me. There is no need to feel so humble about what you have achieved."

The girl blinked and soon she nodded down. Even so, she lowered her head as if to hide her flustered face using the shades but…

"…I didn't know you can be embarrassed like that, Fuu." Harunobu's younger sister remarked.

"Sh-Shut up! And what do you mean by that, Karin!?"

As the two girls bantered, Ichiro and Kanae could only watch in silence. However, a thought crossed their minds and they felt their hearts warming up as they understood yet another thing.

Truly, their son had fallen in love with such sweet girls.

* * *

While waiting in a line of people that stretched pretty far, Issei sighed in his heart.

Not because he was depressed or something. Considering what he had been doing, he was definitely having fun. The sigh he expressed was light as a mean to dispel away the worries and burdens he had been shouldering until now, and he believed it was a good thing.

 _After all,_ he thought. _I can focus better on the Shapeshifting Technique this way._

The last thing he wanted to happen was for him to ruin the day by making a huge ruckus. His friends had all the rights in the world to enjoy their rewards for protecting the world, so he wouldn't want to be a stick in the mud.

 _Guess dad and mom planned this all, then._

After all, the timing was weird and the trip was too convenient for a whim of the Taisha higher-ups. He had been mulling about the future and suddenly his father arranged a trip to a luxurious seaside resort. His parents must have seen through him and wanted to help him relax.

"I'll have to repay them sometimes." The brown-haired boy muttered as he followed the queue and entered the cafe.

At the same time, his friends followed after him as they looked around.

"Uwaah, it's so packed…" Yuuna turned her gaze to Itsuki. "Are you okay with this many people around, Itsuki-chan?"

The girl with princess-cut blonde hair nodded. Her smile looked faint but Issei sensed strength and confidence in it, so he chose to not say anything about it.

There was nothing wrong with wanting to overcome your weaknesses, after all.

"So," Issei said, drawing the attentions of his classmate and junior with the clarity of his voice. "I'll treat the two of you so feel free to order anything, Yuuna-chan. Itsuki-chan."

As the two girls' expressions visibly brightened, Issei grinned and resolved himself right on the spot. _As if I will ever mind if I'm rewarded with that kind of smile._

[You sure is weak against women, partner.]

 _Of course I am,_ Issei said to the dragon linked to his soul. _Is there something wrong with being weak to the people you love?_

He heard a short booming laughter as a response.

[No,] Ddraig said after he stopped laughing. [I suppose not. After all, I would never refuse a fight if it approached me first.]

The boy shook his head a little. _You battle junkie._

The red dragon scoffed. [Look in the mirror, you womanizer.]

* * *

Once the sun vanished beyond the Walls, the beach emptied out and various people headed toward their own destinations.

Some parted with their friends and went home. Others decided to take a break by having fun somewhere else. Then there were those who decided to wander around aimlessly.

The similarity between them was that they all had something to do, just like how Issei's family and friends who had returned to the inn.

"Aah… I'm tired." Wearing the clothes provided by the inn, Fuu slumped down on the tatami floor with her legs stretched beneath the table. "Looks like this old bone is acting up again…"

"Don't pound your shoulder like that," Karin chided from next to her. "You look like a genuine old man now, Fuu."

"I'm not old!"

Issei sipped his tea and read Itsuki's comment. 'So you are fine with the rest of the comment?' was written on her sketchbook. Upon noticing his stare and replying in kind, the two of them shared a bitter and understanding smile.

The thought 'It's tough to have someone like Fuu around' must have crossed their minds at the same time, and it latched on until the sliding door to their room opened up.

"Dear Heroes, it is time for dinner."

Looking at the hallway beyond the door, a woman wearing Japanese clothes that indicated her position as one of the staffs prostrated alongside several of her coworkers.

Issei found this type of politeness awkward. He glanced around the 8-tatami room and realized that his friends' smiles were similarly strained as his.

Yes, not even Tougou who held a super high standard on Japanese etiquette was an exception.

"I see," as if noticing their uncomfortableness, his father spoke out from Issei's right side. "Thank you for your hard work."

The woman raised her head and smiled. "It is alright. After all, this is nothing compared to what the Heroes of our country have gone through."

After that, his father did not say anything.

Even when the staffs filed in and placed dinner on the long rectangular table, the atmosphere did not lose its awkwardness and it went on until they excused themselves. Once the sliding door was closed and the footsteps faded away…

"…Uhh… Somehow, I feel bad." Yuuna revealed a bitter smile as she looked at the luxurious food set before her eyes. "Is this really okay to be treated with all this…?"

Issei's father was the one to reply.

"I believe that is just right, Yuuki-chan." The edges of his lips twitched upward. "Since the adults are useless, I do believe you should take this for granted. After all, all of you deserved some form of gratitude even if it's impossible to be given in full."

"Err, Hyoudou-san? Isn't that a bit self-depreciating…?"

Despite drawing various looks from the girls, the man sitting next to Issei pushed his glasses up and laughed merrily.

"That's because it's the truth." Issei's father waved. "In what kind of world is it alright for adults to push the world's fate onto their children's shoulders?"

Issei felt his gaze turning toward him and he found his large hands rubbing his head. The hand was warmth but the action was rough as hell.

"Gah! Old man, stop messing up my hair!" Issei complained.

"Yeah, but it's fun so do you think I can help it?"

"That's not something good to say, dammit!"

When he said that, a light chop hit his head and he yelped. Turning his head to his left, he realized his mother was glaring at him.

"Mind your language," his mother chided and moved her glare to his father. "And Ichiro, stop playing around. We can't let dinner be left cold. That would be rude to the people who made them."

The hand on Issei's head left and he heard his father's apology. It sounded sincere considering the lowered volume of the voice and the expression on his father's face.

After the mood turned harmonious enough, his mother beamed.

"Now, I'm sure all of you are hungry so let's enjoy dinner! Hot spring will be after that!"

 _…Oh right, I almost forgot that this inn has a hot spring – wait, a hot spring!?_

Issei turned his head and met his father's gaze. The man blinked before he nodded as their thoughts coincided together.

The boy would have nodded back had he not felt the intense glares coming from across the table.

"…Errm…" Issei's gaze swam from Tougou to Karin and finally to Fuu. "…Why are you three staring daggers at me?"

The first to respond to his question was the girl who had been placed down from her wheelchair with the help of Yuuna and his mother. She wore a polite smile but her eyes were closed tight.

After Issei felt a bone-chilling sensation out of nowhere, Tougou opened her lips and said, "If you cross the line, I'm going to shoot you."

 _Holy crap, she just sent out a death threat with a smile!_

"And I'm going to slice it off." Karin suddenly added.

"Wait, what!?" Issei's complexion paled. "What do you mean by slice!? What are you going to slice, Karin-chan!?"

Karin ignored him in favor of picking up her chopsticks. Even so, that caused the dread filling the boy's heart to increase as he aimed his frantic gaze to the last person he had directed his earlier question to.

Fuu nodded. "I'll just say this so pay attention, okay?"

The eyepatch-wearing blonde breathed in through her nose.

"No way am I going to give my little sister's hand in marriage to you if you do something audacious, my perverted junior."

Thus, Issei's body swayed and he felt so lightheaded that he was ready to pass out. All he got was a small consolation in the form of a sketchbook raised at the edge of his vision, and seeing the smile on his underclassman's face, Issei raised his hope up—

'I'm sorry but you reap what you sow, Hyoudou-senpai.'

There was a sound of a solid object hitting the floor.

"Yummy…! Hey, hey! This crab is good – hmm? Why are you sleeping on the floor, Ise-senpai? You haven't even touched your dinner yet!"

"Ah, don't worry Yuuna-chan. I'll set some aside for this silly child of mine. Anyway, do you want more rice?"

"Is that okay? Please do, Hyoudou-okaa-san!"

* * *

When Issei woke up, it turned out the moon had risen high above the Seto Inland Sea.

The room was dark and he could hardly see anything. However, he realized he was in the confine of a futon and he rolled his body only to see another futon. This one, for some reasons, had nobody inside.

"…Hmm?" After getting up and looking around, Issei lowered the edges of his eyebrows. "Ah, right. The room we booked was a double room so of course it's going to be split in two."

Seeing the wide partitions that divided the rooms in two halves, he realized the girls must be sleeping on the other side. Issei's nose twitched upon noticing a light scent of flower. Was this the scent of perfume?

Issei pondered a bit and shook his head. _No, maybe it's the scent of shampoo the girls used._

"…Wait, that makes me sound like some sort of weird person." The boy scratched his head. "Ugh, why does becoming a dragon make it even harder to ignore the subtle things around me?"

It was bad enough that he could sense the presences and scents of his friends. At this rate, he would be in a worrying situation while his parents were also around. _As if I can sleep again like this…_

When he looked to the windows, he realized that there was a tray of food within the confine of a wooden food cover. Issei touched his stomach after reading the small note attached to the food cover.

"…I don't even feel hungry." Issei looked over his shoulders and sighed. "At least I haven't let my control slip."

[Well, sorry to break this to you but I was the one who is keeping your humanoid form.]

…Huh? Issei blinked and looked down to his left arm. _You can do that, Ddraig?_

[I can, but not for long. Anyway, I'll give the control back to you again.]

 _Wait wait wait!_

Issei fumbled for several moments before he calmed himself and let his shoulders relax. He took a deep breath in and expelling it.

"…Alright, I'm ready."

Feeling the subtle weigh on his mind, Issei concentrated and let his magic energy flow out bits-by-bits. The transfer of control was a success but soon he frowned.

"…Ddraig, I feel like this kind of thing is restraining me more and more." He raised his head up. "Why is that?"

His question was answered after several seconds had passed.

[You're no longer a human,] Ddraig sighed. [That kind of thought is normal only for those who aren't humans.]

"…So the part of me which is a dragon doesn't like staying in human form?"

[Unfortunately for you, yes. This is an inevitable change, partner.]

Issei waited for a minute before he could say or even do anything. Once the time had passed, he looked around and left his bed.

The boy chose to leave the room and wander toward his destination.

"What else do I need to be prepared for?" He asked in a voice not loud enough for anyone to eavesdrop on him so easily.

[How about I remind you first?] Ddraig continued on, [What were your thoughts after you killed the Strays?]

"…Nothing. So is that it? My humanity is slipping away?"

[Incorrect. It's your mental capability as well as your perception of others.]

Issei's steps slowed down. Several lines of thought passed through his mind at the answer he received.

"…What does that mean?"

[Well, your mentality has heightened to a dragon's level,] Ddraig explained. [Your empathy, sympathy… All emotional things like that have improved to a higher standard. At the same time, you are beginning to see yourself not as a human. That's why you don't feel it unnatural when you killed Stray Devils or Fallen.]

"…I'm not sure what I am supposed to feel about that…"

He was told to not give it too much thought by Ddraig, so he decided that it might be best for him to obey the advice. After all…

"…I don't think I would mind killing those monsters," Issei muttered. "If they intend to harm my friends, then they're better off dead."

[Yeah, but it's not something a normal human would ever think, especially for a child who have been living under the confine of a society as strict as this country's.]

Since he wouldn't know about something as difficult as that, Issei opted to be quiet.

After a while, he reached his destination when he was faced with a sliding door with a blue cloth hanging on its upper frame. The kanji 'man' was written on it in white color that contrasted the deep blue background color.

"Ah, it's still open. Lucky me."

The boy waltzed in and entered the locker room. He picked a shelf to store his clothes in and after he had ridden himself of his clothes, Issei took up a towel.

[You pick a strange time to take a bath, partner.] Ddraig grunted. [But I approve. The moon should be in good view tonight. Also, you intend to dispel your disguise, don't you?]

Issei grinned as he slid open yet another door and was met with a scenery full of white steams.

"Oh, nice! There's nobody around!"

His eyes scanned the surroundings. The steam made it a little hard to see but the entire place amazed him too much he didn't know what else to say.

Polished river stones covered the ground. Deep green grasses surrounded the stone floor, and lamp posts shone as if creating a path. After cleaning his body at a nearby shower station, Issei walked toward a spring that let loose steam and entered it with his towel slung over his right shoulder.

"Whoa…" Issei sighed as he dipped his body into the hot spring. "This is perrrrfffect…"

After submerging his body to the base of his neck, he leaned on his back and looked up to the clear night sky. The moon was indeed in a great view, what with it looking larger than usual. Still, it was unfortunate that the light of the stars dimmed somewhat due to it.

Issei was about to let his form morph back to default when he heard splashes of water.

"Oh, so it's you, Ise."

 _Huh, that voice…_

"Dad? What are you doing here?" Issei looked at his father who had suddenly appeared in the hot spring and swam toward his location. "I thought it was me alone here…"

"Well, I was talking with the other customers in a Jacuzzi a little further beyond this place." His father shrugged, his white towel tipping to the side of his head. "You woke up way too late, Ise. The girls have already bathed."

The boy rolled his eyes to the side and his parent laughed.

"Okay okay. You sure lack humor these days," he said with a shake of head. "Anyway, you want to spread your wings right? How about we talk while you help yourself."

"What do you mean by 'help yourself' hey…"

As red scales replaced his skin and claws replaced his digits, Issei felt all of his senses growing sharper. It did not end at that as wings poked out of his back and disturbed the calm surface of the spring. The last thing he felt was the horns poking out of his head; it was accompanied by a great sense of liberation.

Upon blinking twice, he met his father's gaze.

"Alright, done." Issei folded his arms. "So what is it, dad?"

The man placed his hand on his stubbly chin and muttered a drawn out sound. Since he wasn't wearing his glasses, Issei's father narrowed his eyes even further than the usual.

"How's school?" He asked.

"Uh. That's a bit sudden, but well…" Issei rubbed the place beneath his nose. "I think I can keep up an appearance. People are wondering why I'm taking so many short breaks but the teachers seemed to be fine with that…"

Left unsaid would be how his homeroom teacher smiled as if she understood something. That was strange considering he hadn't said anything to her.

"Well, Taisha handled that side of thing," said his father. "You and your friends' situations have been taken in consideration so as to not create unnecessary chaos."

"But what about the other students…?"

"Their parents would be convinced as long as 'Taisha', 'Shinju-sama', or 'duty' is mentioned."

 _Is that truly how it works?_ Issei questioned the logic behind that statement but he soon realized that there was no point in doing that. He was certainly worried about his friends but he was also worried if he would cause some problems by knowing too much.

 _Taisha seems pretty serious when it comes to things unrelated to normal stuff, after all…_

As Issei stewed on the answer he had just obtained, he heard more words.

"Alright, next question then," his father paused. "No one has seen your other form in public, right? Have you heard of any rumors among your friends?"

Issei stilled and recalled the small accident between him and Karin a few days before the end-of-term tests. However, after giving him a look, his father smiled and lowered his shoulders.

"Someone did, huh?"

"W-Well…" issei looked away. "On my defense, Karin-chan suddenly barged her way into the rooftop!"

"Oh, if it's like that, then that's fine."

 _That was fast!_ Issei didn't expect such a carefree answer but then again, it was _his father_ they were talking about here… _I should've expected at least this much…_

"Still…" The parent muttered as he stroked his stubbly chin. "I guess that it's not the best decision to let you go out when you haven't mastered your shapeshifting technique."

"Eh? Err...I think it's fine, though?" Issei immediately raised and waved his hand in front of his chest when his father threw a questioning look at him. "S-Seriously, it's fine, dad! Besides, it's summer vacation right now so I will definitely master the technique! That way, everything will go back to normal!"

Since the questioning look did not disappear, Issei's gaze swam and he asked the dragon freeloading in his mind. _Give me an explanation, Ddraig!_

[Hmm? Well sure,] Ddraig responded. [Just tell him that the priestesses all around you are helping out.]

 _Eh,_ Issei thought in surprise. _But I only asked Sonoko's help so far, though._

[Have you grown senile, partner? It was your idea and it has already succeeded in some ways.]

The boy blinked and looked down at his submerged left arm. _Seriously?_

[Yes. Because this land's Mikos are capable of innately tuning the leylines and harnessing their power for their own uses, though I'm pretty sure that's the reason why four of them are like that.]

...What did he just say? Tuning the leylines…? Was that even possible? And what did Ddraig mean in the last section? Four of them…?

[I'll explain the rest later. Anyway,] Ddraig pressed on and diverted the topic just like that. [Tell your parent that and he'll understand. If he doesn't, you can just look down on him and insult his knowledge for lacking so much depth.]

The host of Boosted Gear could only groan at that. He relayed to his father what he had been informed with and – fortunately – he nodded down as if he had comprehended it all.

 _...How is that possible?! I can't even make heads or tails of it, so why does the old man understands it right away?!_

[That's because you haven't searched for anything like magical wisdoms until now,] Ddraig chided. [If you want to live long in this world, then go do your homework properly.]

Issei threw his hands up in the air before he dropped his body until it was submerged to his lips.

His enhanced senses detected the smell of water and sulfur, and he felt his entire body slowly warming up all the way to his bones.

"Ise, can I ask you a question?"

The son raised his head when he heard of his name being mentioned. However his father wasn't smiling and yet there was no tension in his expression. _Why is he looking at me like that?_

"What is it, dad?" Issei asked, "Is there something more?"

The man confirmed his offhanded question with a nod. Then words he never expected came out.

"What do you think of us living in Kuoh again?"


	44. Chapter 38 - Idyllic Happiness III

In the dead of night, a girl woke up after feeling the sweltering heat surrounding her.

Lifting her head, she realized arms and legs were draped over her. Some of her friends seemed to have felt the summer heat disturbing their sleep and so they left the confine of their beds and rolled around in search for some cool comfort.

Unfortunately, that escape attempt had woken her up.

"...Uuu... So horrible..." The girl got up as she fixed her clothes. "…I can't sleep again if it's like this, too…"

She had no choice then. Still, she wondered if there would be anyone who would do what she intended to do at such an ungodly hour, but her desire won out a landslide victory against common sense.

"…Un. I'll be off for a bit, everyone…"

The girl quietly left the room.

* * *

At first, Issei didn't know what to think about the words he had heard.

However, they were instilled in his mind and he couldn't stop thinking about it. He couldn't even imagine himself forgetting it and he didn't have the courage to think of it as some poor jokes.

One close look at his father and he understood that he was completely serious.

"...Is this because I don't need to fight anymore?"

The black-haired man smiled. Even so, it was one forced to hang on his face. Issei thought it was filled with guilt as well, and his chest ached upon knowing the reason behind such a smile.

"Yes," his father said without losing his strength to uphold that same smile. "But you don't have to worry. This is what Kanae and I thought up. Nobody is forcing us and it's what we want."

"Something the two of you want..."

Issei almost forgot to breathe. His parents were serious, and they probably discussed for a terribly long time to get a sort of conclusion like that. However, he wasn't disturbed by that. He wasn't even outraged, since there was nothing to be upset about.

There was no other way to explain why his father could ask him a question like this. His parents knew how he would react when it comes to parting with someone close to him; they were family that had lived together for 14 years, after all.

That was why he would…

"I wouldn't want that."

The smile his father turned bitter. Issei's expression soured but he shook his head to rid himself of any unpleasant thoughts that might distract him from the matter at hands.

However, his father leaned back and let loose a deep sigh.

"I knew you'd say that," said he. "If I was in your position, I'd definitely refuse to go back as well."

"Then why do you ask?"

"Because I want to believe in what I believed."

Huh? What was with that confusing answer? Issei tilted his head as his father raised his hands from the spring. Both of them scooped the warm water as a night breeze blew toward the building behind the spring, and his father washed his face with the spring water.

Droplets of water fell and made sounds once they touched the surface of the hot spring. Once there was no excess of water sticking to his face, the man inhaled and raised his head.

"Can I ask what is binding you to this place, Issei?"

The boy took note of how his father did not use his nickname. Issei was fine with that, but he chose to not say anything for the sake of answering the question directed at him.

"You already know, dad." Issei looked ahead before he lowered his head to meet the gaze of his reflection in the water surface. "I already found my happiness here."

His father laughed lightly, but it wasn't one filled with mockery. Issei could tell that it was a laughter of a person who understood the meaning behind a joke; a knowing laughter.

"How many are there?" His father asked again.

"Hmm?" Issei lifted his chin and his eyes swam as he counted in his mind. "There's Yuuna-chan, Tougou-san, Fuu-senpai, Itsuki-chan, Karin-chan, Sonoko-chan, and then…"

Recalling the girl from his dream, Issei smiled while gazing at the starry sky.

"There's Gin-chan as well," said the boy. "That makes seven of them."

"Heh… You really succeeded where I couldn't, huh." His father continued, "What about your other childhood friend? You know, Shidou-kun's child."

Turning his head to the side, Issei stared at his father dubiously.

"Why do I have to add Irina too?" The son flattened his gaze. "He's a guy, dad. He can find his own happiness – wait, why are you laughing? Did I say something wrong?"

Issei's head was knocked lightly from the side by a lightly clenched fist, making him yelped. He questioned if his father had cracked or something but he merely muttered 'You silly kid' while shaking his head in amusement.

"At any rate," his father paused. "You're serious about this, so I'll just ask one last question. Which is more important to you, your friends or your family?"

"Do you really have to put it that way, you shitty old man…?" Issei heaved. "I can't decide that so easily, you know?"

The man who was his father nodded, but he didn't say anything. It was Issei's cue to continue on explaining himself, so he did not look at the gift's horse and simply take it away for his own purpose.

"I love you and mom," Issei stated out. "Of course I'm going to prioritize my family, but I also love the girls. If some trouble happened and I can only choose one of you all, then…"

Then what? What would he do?

Issei wasn't sure if he should continue his current line of thoughts. He knew that making everyone happy without having any complications was impossible. Being a Hero was also the same; it was impossible to create a perfect world where everyone could be happy equally.

It was simply beyond human nature to create a utopia where all wishes could be granted. Issei understood that really well.

That was why, what he decided on was…

"…I'm going to save all of you even if the world has to burn down in the process."

It was an insane answer that made his father stiffen. Issei acknowledged that fact, faced it without closing his eyes and he continued on.

"I won't accept any other ending," the boy said. "I'm not sure if I love you all equally, but it's a fact that I don't want to lose any of you. So I'll do anything to be with you all."

He took a deep breath in, and then he leaned his back against the edge of the hot spring. He let his wings lower down and sink into the water, and his green eyes observed the majesty of the moon.

"Even though I'm a horrible person, someone told me that I have friends and that they care for my well-being."

When he closed his eyes, he recalled the appearance of the troublesome senior. Her long blond hair that was tied into twintails, her green eyes, and then her brash attitude that bordered on childishness.

 _If we were family, I suppose she would be a role model big sister, huh…_

"Then I was relied on by my junior and there are also two girls who don't mind knocking some senses into me even if they have to bash my skull." The boy rubbed his head as he recalled the sensation of getting struck by a wooden sword and a gigantic axe. "…Now that I think about it, I have to find a way to beat those two to even the scores out."

While at it, he also realized that the girls he knew were way too strong it wasn't funny. That meant his training still had some values and his hard work until now were not a waste of time. Plus…

"One girl reprimanded me and allowed me to be reckless even though it would hurt her," Issei sighed as he reopened his eyes and stared at his reflection in the water surface. "That made me realize that I cannot throw my life away if I want to stop that girl's pain."

"What about the one you fell in love with?" His father suddenly interjected. "It hurts you, right? You don't have much confidence and yet you got rejected by your crush. Is that pain in your heart something you should be thankful for?"

Issei blinked, and he immediately answered back.

"That shows that it's not a simple infatuation. If I'm not really in love with her, how am I supposed to explain why I don't want to cut my ties with her despite having been rejected by her?"

"Is that so? But, is there any worth in pursuing a dream that has already crumbled to dust?"

It did not even take a beat for another answer to appear.

"There is," said the boy. "There's worth in that broken path. And even if there's nothing beyond the path, I will still look back and smile without regret."

His father stared at him and Issei stared back. A chilly night breeze blew and brushed the grass, making them dance. Not too far away the sounds of ocean waves shattered the silence that hung in the atmosphere.

"Where is that courage coming from, Ise?" His father asked. "What is pushing your back despite knowing the nihilism of reality?"

Issei craned his head and looked to the exposed part of the open air hot spring. From the place he was in, he could see the sea that shone beneath the moon, the ancient Walls that protected the country…

And then the scenery he saw together with his friends on a certain early morning.

"…I met someone at the beginning of this year," Issei said. "She's so fussy about things and called me an evildoer for trying to do some low-angle peeping. Yes, yes. I know. I deserved a kick in the head for that and I really did get kicked after I was falcon-punched. Laugh at me all you want, dad."

The boy laughed even as his father kept looking at him without making a sound. The water rippled as Issei moved his arms, feeling the hot water slipping through the gaps between his fingers.

"But… She told me to not give up. She understands my dream and tries to help me. She always said she doesn't mind my inexperience that obviously burdened everyone, and she believes in someone like me."

As he looked at his hand the boy smiled, and as he thought of the girl's smile his heart pounded in unimaginable joy and warmth.

"That courage gave me the strength to move forward until now," the young dragon said. "I'm sure that's the reason why I love Yuuna-chan."

* * *

The waves rolled and the wind blew. As the night grew old, a loud laughter filled the misty air that surrounded the open-air hot spring.

He must have sounded strange. Probably, his son would react by showing a disturbed look and then pointed out how creepy he was.

 _But well,_ Ichiro thought. _In this kind of world, there will always be things you can't help with._

He didn't know how long he laughed. He was certain that his vocal cord was straining from doing something unbefitting his age. Even so, Ichiro thought that was fine.

He let himself be swept by the mood as he let time passed. The moment he was done laughing, he shook his head and inhaled.

"…I see now," the father said. "If it's like that, then there's no way I can stop you, huh?"

He knew that he was mistaken. A proper parent would have demanded obedience from his child even if the child yelled, cried, screamed, or even kicked around just so that his childish demand could be approved. It was easy to change the mind of a child.

All he needed to do was use his authority as a parent and force his son to obey him. What could possibly go wrong with that?

Unfortunately, Ichiro wasn't that kind of parent. He was truly a horrible example of an adult and he was truly a horrible example of a parent. _That means I'm no different than the people of Taisha, huh…_

The thought made his smile to falter, and Ichiro lowered his eyelids in a moment of depreciation.

Even so, the man decided to keep up an appearance. As he looked at the dark sky filled with the stars and the moon, he saw some clouds but they were few and they floated far away from the celestial bodies that decorated the lightless heavens.

 _Looks like I've been looking down at my feet for too long, huh?_

"...Issei. I only have one thing to tell you."

He felt his son's attention drawn to him. Once he was sure of that, the man proceeded on.

"Don't you dare giving up," Ichiro stated out. "Even if others say it's impossible, even if the world deems it as hopeless, even if the stars aligned and fate and destiny work together against all of humanity, and even if the gods abandoned all of their creations in hope of creating a blank slate…"

 _Promise me,_ the man muttered under harsh breaths. He repeated that one word not only once, but twice and thrice. Then he finally said this.

"Promise me that you will never forsake everything that you have, Issei."

The child gave him silence, and then he nodded with firm determination in his green eyes.

"I will," his son said. "No matter what happens, I won't give up, dad."

As a vow was made beneath the moonlight, the grasses danced, the waves scattered and time marched forward.

* * *

Morning came quicker than he thought.

Once the partitions were opened and the futons were stored back, the table was returned to its rightful position and Issei sat on the longer side of it. He rotated his shoulders several times.

"Man, I wish there's a spell that can help remedy stiff muscles." The boy looked to the side, noticing a cup of tea and accepted it with both of his hands. "Thanks, Tougou-san. Where are the others?"

"Fuu-senpai and Karin-chan went off to the arcade downstairs before you woke up," Tougou said with a small smile on her delicate face. "They were talking about some competition so I believe Fuu-senpai said something irresponsible and Karin-chan took it seriously."

"Huh… So that happens." Issei flicked his gaze around the room. "And Itsuki-chan isn't here so… is she going along those two?"

"Well…" His friend tapped her cheek with her index finger. "I can't really disclose this information but will you do nothing after I answered your question?"

 _Huh?_ Issei tilted his head and said 'What are you talking about?' with a confused look. However, that seemed to be the correct keyword as Tougou immediately spoke up.

"Itsuki-chan is with your mother, and they… went to the hot spring." Tougou narrowed her eyes. "So if you try to do something, then the punishment will be…"

"Ah, yes yes. I get it! I won't do anything, I swear!"

After waving frantically, he finally convinced Tougou and let the morning atmosphere harmonize the mood. Issei took a brief glance at the windows, heard the quiet snore of his father from the other side of the double room, and then he closed his eyes.

"…Oh, yeah." Issei reopened his eyes and met the black-haired green-eyed girl. "Where's Yuuna-chan? I haven't seen her even though she said she's not a morning person…"

For once, Tougou craned her head up, pressed two fingers on her chin and mirrored the same expression Issei had.

"Earlier, I heard your mother talking with Yuuna-chan in the hallway." The girl looked to the door that connected their room with the hallway. "But I caught a glimpse of her, Yuuna-chan's face was red like a boiled crab and she ran off like a frightened rabbit… Did something happen?"

Issei followed the direction of Tougou's gaze. He stared at the half-opened door for a bit, raised an eyebrow, folded his arms once he placed his teacup on the table, and then nodded down with his eyes closed together.

"Hmm…" He muttered. "I'm not so sure of it, too. I hope it's not something bad."


	45. Interlude - Nogi Sonoko

**-Surprise Author's Note (VERY IMPORTANT!) -**

 **Guest574839674:** ***cackles* I like your analysis, so I doubt anyone will try to bash you, though I can only do so much as one person. For your points, I'm tempted to explain everything, but I can't. It's simply because almost everything you said all have their answers in the uncharted territory, or in other words, the spoiler area. You do raise a good point, but you see...**

 **What do you think if it turns out everything you believe in, including the reality you're living in until now... What if it is all a complete lie?**

 **Yes, everyone. I am also asking you this. Those who know the source material for this crossover should already be aware, right? But still I ask you readers to think about the question above very hard. Make sure you do, after all... It will be too late if you don't realize the truth and live your life in complete ignorance.**

* * *

On a certain morning, Nogi Sonoko was thinking.

It wasn't like she never tried to ponder about things, but she preferred to live a stress-free life instead of worrying about tiny details or fussing over things that had happened a long time ago.

"You've been doing that a lot lately."

Sonoko opened her eyelid little by little.

She sniffed the scent of salt in the wind, and she could hear the waves crashing on the sandy beach not too far behind her. Her 'altar' wasn't positioned to face the sea so it was a bit hard to take a clear look of it, but she was satisfied with what she currently had.

"Oh, Heke-san," greeted the girl with dirty-blonde hair. "What are you doing here so early?"

Her guest scoffed.

As always, he didn't seem to like talking like a civilized person but it wasn't like Sonoko minded that. Well, maybe a little but her mind was filled with various other thoughts jumbled together that it would have confused a normal mind.

"What do you think I'm doing right now?" A chugging sound was heard. "…Hmph. I don't like this taste. Alcohols here are way too goddamn light."

 _Huh, so he's drinking._ "Did you steal it from the offering plate at the small shrine below this place?"

'This place' meant the viewing spot the two were on. It was once a recreational facility, and it had a structure akin to a stone castle with many stairs. Ever since the destruction of the Great Bridge, the viewing spot lost its purpose as a tourist attraction spot and it was soon converted into Sonoko's personal 'shrine' in accordance to her wish.

Naturally, there must be a shrine that worships a properly recognized deity, though it didn't seem like Heracles could care less about it.

"It's not like you want them, right?" The Greek Champion said with a snarl, "As if a witch like you would want anything from people who made you the way you are."

Sonoko's smile faltered. She wished she could move her body, but that wasn't the case for her. As such, she looked up and then hung her head.

"…Ah. So you know about that… How embarrassing."

"Don't give me that," Heracles retorted. "…After all, the situation here is no different."

 _No… different…?_ Sonoko wondered what he meant but as she tilted her head, an answer came right away.

"I see…" The girl looked up again, catching several seagulls soaring from the eastern sky. "So the rest of the world isn't really different… I don't I want to see the other countries now."

Once again Heracles scoffed, but he didn't say anything. His silence implied 'Good for you' – which is a pretty nice thing to know, by the way – in a very blunt manner. She wondered if he even knew what it meant to be polite but probably, some customs differed drastically outside this country.

Then again, she also had the premonition that that was just how Heracles rolled. _Wasshi would have grilled him and said how truly savage the Yankees are._

"…Oy, Witch." Heracles called out.

Sonoko replied by humming while her eyelid lowered down.

"How long are you planning to dance around the issue?"

The waves crashed on the shores beyond the viewing spot. It was hard to pinpoint, but there was a resigned sigh leaking from someone's mouth.

Whether it came from Sonoko or Heracles, nobody but the two of them knew.

"…I was hoping you wouldn't ask that, Heke-san." Sonoko's left eye fluttered open, her smile thinning and fading away from her face. "Since when did you notice?"

"From the beginning," the Champion said almost immediately. "A brat like you still have millions of desires to fulfill, naïve dreams you don't want to wake up from, and vain hopes you want to cling onto no matter what happens. It's easy to know you're already at wit's end."

The girl nodded but stayed quiet. In the meantime, the Greek man took the silence as his cue and proceeded on.

"The sky seen in my homeland is a bleak one."

Suddenly, the man narrated. He didn't raise or lower his voice, but something about his words made it easy to be etched on Sonoko's mind.

"The dull grey clouds plagued the heaven for as long as I remember. It's meant to hide Olympus from the rest of the world, and it's done through the ceaseless efforts of the Sea God Poseidon," the member of Khaos Brigade explained. "A storm would come every week. The sea level would rise, and the winds can steal someone's life away. People usually hid in their houses or prayed in the temples when that happens, kneeling and trembling like some small animals."

Sonoko was sure she heard another condescending scoff.

It was a sign of frustration, or maybe anger, but she didn't think that way. No matter how abrasive the man's personality was, he wouldn't be a Champion – a warrior beloved by the Gods – if he did not know how to pay respect.

In that sense, the scoff might imply begrudging respect; maybe Heracles was way too stubborn that he couldn't articulate gratitude like a normal person would.

"Zeus – that dirty old man always appeared in the stormy day with blades of lightning in his hands," Heracles said. "Not to show off or instill blind respect on his followers, but to protect Olympus from the threats that always appeared whenever the storm arrived."

Sonoko processed the word as the Champion described rumors about the 'threats' he was speaking of.

Some said they were the creations of Echidna – the mother of monsters.

Some speculated they were the heralds of the primordial gods – those who predated even the Olympians.

Some believed it as a display of power of the original incarnation of Typhon – the great lord of calamity, storm, and monsters.

"Zeus fought with a band of warriors right behind his chariot. They are the best of the best, Heroes of legendary might, wisdom, talent and luck." A longing sigh echoed throughout the viewing spot. "They are called the Argonauts – the chosen Champions of the Gods."

Silence descended.

Except the sounds of the waves and winds, the atmosphere was truly an epitome of silence. Sonoko looked up at the clouds in the heavens above and she saw them rolling and scattering in one direction.

Then the beating winds suddenly stopped.

The metallic cacophony from the ruined Great Bridge could no longer be heard, and the echoes of the waves vanished as if they had never been there. If one was to look up, they would see the seagulls flying above the Seto Inland Sea froze over as if to prove the _wrongness_ of a clockwork that had lost one of its gears.

The world stilled – and Sonoko felt enormous power bending the fabrics of reality, spilling over and transforming the world within a storm of flower petals.

"Now," a voice reached to the girl's ears. "What will you do next? Do you still have the time to wallow in vain happiness?"

Sonoko hitched a breath. As she looked up to a starless heaven that had lost all light, her lips trembled as her left eye shimmered with ethereal glow and she crumpled her left hand as if holding a small treasure that continued to slip away from her grasp.

"…In the end," someone whispered. "There's no other way to end this nightmare."

What kind of thought appeared in her mind? What had she decided now? Nobody but the girl knew what she was thinking.

 _What do I truly wish for…?_

An image was recalled. A distant, unfulfilled dream surged forth from the depth of her memories and Sonoko gasped as the invisible chains binding her lungs shattered.

"…I'm sorry." Sonoko closed her left eye even as tears formed and trailed down her cheek. "I'm so sorry, Han-kun…"

 _What I truly wish for is…_


	46. Chapter 39 - Blessings of the Gods

In an empty club room, a girl peered down on a wide table made up of several desks lined next to each other together.

One of her eyes was covered by a black eyepatch and her other still-functioning green eye reflected a metal case with a symbol engraved on it. A tree surrounded by a thin black diagram stood out as clear as daylight, but that made her curiosity to grow more than before.

 _What is this,_ she thought. _It arrived last night and I ended up bringing it here, but…_

Fuu sighed, "Why am I doing this, too…?"

The door slid open and she spotted four people entering, all of them wearing school uniforms with the first to walk in being her little sister. Fuu greeted her club mates and they responded in kind.

However, Tougou and Karin took notice of the metal case and they narrowed their eyes.

"Is that…"

"Taisha's insignia." Karin turned her gaze to her senior. "Did something happen, Fuu?"

The blonde smiled bitterly. What was she supposed to say, now? Fuu didn't even know where to begin with, but then she soon noticed that there was one person missing and she vocalized her curiosity.

"Where's Issei?"

"Ah, if it's Issei-san…" Tougou glanced behind her wheelchair and smiled sheepishly upon catching Yuuna's shrinking form. "Umm, he is training at Yuuna-chan's family dojo with her father, so he is currently unavailable."

…Huh? Was that for real?

Fuu tilted her head and lowered her eyebrows. She wondered if her junior was trying to kill himself. After all, even though the War had ended, Issei kept on maintaining his lifestyle and he had never let up on taking every chance to do something that required heavy labor.

Fuu even recalled that he went to visit his hospitalized friend despite having just returned from the holiday trip.

 _Although he has stopped being a human,_ the girl thought as she placed a hand on her hip. _I will have to pull his ear and talk him down again about what is good and what is bad to do…_

"Fine… Since he's not here, I guess we'll start like this." Fuu circled around the table and faced her family and friends. "Well, everyone, I have something to tell you all."

Karin blew air through her nose and pointed at her. Fuu blinked but she stepped aside to show the metal case on the table.

"It's related to that thing, right? What is that, anyway?"

"That's what I'd like to know, actually…" Fuu exasperated and scratched her head. "There's a note saying to only open it after the Heroes all gathered together. What's more, there's a note saying 'urgent business'."

"Haa… But I don't know anything about that."

 _So not even Karin is given any notice?_

Fuu felt that the situation was growing more and more suspicious. A part of her even thought that the case was rigged and filled with bombs, but soon her rational side wiped that possibility away.

 _That'd be too tasteless even for dark humor..._

The blonde felt a tug and she looked to the side.

 _'Why not open it, then?'_

Upon reading Itsuki's message, Fuu agreed and let everyone to gather around the table, and Fuu took up the task in opening the metal case.

"Let's see, what do we have here… huh?"

The last word she uttered mirrored everyone's opinion.

 _What's going on_ , they thought. _What is this?_ No eyes blinked as they stared at the content of the case and the air felt stiff.

 _No,_ Fuu internally rebuked. _This is just… too much too swallow._

For some reasons, she saw five pure white devices slotted in a board covered with a soft black cloth. As if mocking the group, their screens reflected the girls' figures.

However, as if a timer was set off, the dim light flooded the dark screens and the five terminals came to life. As each member of the Hero Club took one of them, some trembled and some muttered their disbelief.

Tougou had the strongest response among them all. Her pale hands held her terminal, her complexion was almost as pale as blank paper, and her green eyes trembled in doubts and worry.

It was then that the sound of the world vanished.

It was then that the Hero System rang its warning bell, signaling the arrival of the 'enemy'.

It was then that the earth shook and the air roared.

As everyone looked beyond the windows, white light poured from the Walls that protected their homeland and replaced the reality they were born in.

"Why…"

The Jukai enveloped all that existed and brought the Heroes away into the battlefield.

* * *

The sky was pitch-black.

Roots covered the land, white sand became the bed for colorful vines to arch up from, and an enormous leafless glowing tree towered like a beacon in the darkest hour. The tree radiated light as if replacing the lack of the celestial bodies in the heavens above, but it wasn't only light the tree had emitted.

Power overflowed from its entire being.

A Holy Power that seemed to cleanse all that was close to it surrounded the colossal tree, and the Forest of Trees was lit with bright colors that displayed a similar impression if in a subtle way.

"…What… is this…"

Standing atop a vine, a brown-haired boy stood on his two feet. His mouth hung open and his eyes were as small as dots upon recognizing the world around him.

 _I knew this place,_ the boy thought. _But why am I here? The dream already ended. The war has already been won._

A chill ran down his spine. The boy looked around him and wondered what the origin of the chills that stabbed deep into his bones was. He had several possibilities; a mistake, a hallucination, a sophisticated spell meant to confuse him, or…

"…No, it can't be." Issei shook his head. "It can't be. There's no way…! Why did the Jukai appear again even though the War has already ended!? Why am I here!? Where is—"

His next word was caught in his throat.

His senses as a dragon could no longer be compared with those of humans. He might look like a human, but most of his body had lost its humanity and only a small part of him could be genuinely considered 'humane'.

That was why his senses picked up presences in the Jukai. He knew them, he had befriend them and fell in love with them. He recalled their smiles and the bright spirits they had, and he in turn promised himself to treasure them and protect the place they belonged to…

But the boy sensed one more presence that froze his blood and forced him to question the reality surrounding him.

Before he knew it, the boy had leaped down from the vine he once stood on. The wind struck him like an immovable wall, his ears heard nothing except the roars of the world and his skin grew increasingly cold from the exposure.

"Boosted Gear!"

Red light encased his body. The scent of steel permeated alongside the racing sound of his heartbeat as thick plates of iron shrouded the boy's limbs.

When his figure vanished into the dense labyrinth of vines, there was a short silence.

In the next moment a red streak of light pierced through the maze and soared into the black sky. It broke the sound barrier, leaving behind detonated air as it approached a place that was about to be consumed in conflict.

[BOOST!]

 _Hurry,_ Issei thought as he used every 10 seconds to accelerate faster than before. _Hurry! Hurry!_

He had to reach them. He had to fight. He had to protect those he loved. He had to become faster than anything in the world so that he could help them.

 _Please let me make it in time…!_

* * *

A thought crossed her mind.

 _Why,_ she wondered as if accusing the world of a great betrayal. _How could this happen again,_ her thought proceeded on without realizing that her lips had conveyed it out.

Next to her, her best friend wore the same expression as she gazed at the same world the two were surrounded by.

The girl had yet to notice because of her numbed mind, but her left hand was gripped tight by her friend's trembling hands. She did not realize those pale hands had turned white and blue, and she did not realize the tears that began to pool at the corners of her best friend's eyes.

Then she felt something running down her back.

It was cold. It held no malice nor foul intention. It was like a honed blade beneath a clear winter night sky, and the girl turned around to see the Walls that protected the world she was born in.

The girl saw it approaching her and her friends.

The girl saw a being that floated as if rejecting the laws of gravity, its form resembling neither a living being nor an inanimate object. It had a torn scarf that wavered behind it, a tube-like body and it gave off no scent or even any signs of life.

 _Why,_ the girl thought. _Why is it here again,_ the girl wondered a if accusing and rejecting the existence of the monster that tried to kill the world.

"Why…"

As spherical objects scattered from the bottom part of its body, an inhuman screech tore the air and shook the Forest of Trees… And in the next instance, a red light flew and collided with the monster.

* * *

[BOOST!]

He pulled his right arm back. At the same time, his wings folded in while the boosters attached to the back of his armor expanded.

Bright blue light burst and focused into two oval shapes beyond the thrusters. Heat, noise, light as well as overwhelming power pushed his body forward.

 _Kill it,_ he thought. _Destroy it,_ his mind decided as every inches of his body trembled in both anticipation and dread over this confrontation.

Magical energy gathered in his right fist. All of his strength was put in his right arm and the boy struck.

A great explosion erupted.

The air vibrated, noise resounded and smokes enveloped both him and his enemy. His body flew out of the smokes and landed on a vine. He saw the silhouette of his foe, but he felt searing heat encroach his entire right arm.

 _I can't feel my arm,_ he realized. _It's completely broken,_ his body said through the pain.

Even so, he couldn't let up. He must not falter, he must not stop, and he must not allow the worst possibility to happen.

[BOOST!]

That was why Issei flew straight toward his enemy.

"RaaaaaAAAAAAAAHHH!"

He raised his left arm, clenched his left hand and hit the titanic monster.

The red claws bent and the gauntlet's form twisted inwardly. From that alone, Issei understood that the enemy had learned from its mistakes and strengthened its already durable body into a moving reinforced fortress.

 _I've already wasted four of my eight boosts,_ the boy belatedly thought as beads of explosives scattered from below his enemy. _But that's fine!_

Flapping his wings, Issei soared upward and scaled the heaven. He suddenly stopped flying and darted to the side, dodging five bullets and fired green beams at them.

However, the rest followed and he was forced to move again.

 _They're catching up,_ Issei noticed. _So not only did it strengthen itself, it also enhanced its arsenals like mad._

The homing bullets would probably do damage better than the previous ones. He glimpsed at the orange-black flowers in the sky and he confirmed his premonition as true.

"In that case…!"

Increasing the output of his boosters, Issei accelerated and flew toward the Seto Inland Sea.

 _Come on,_ the boy desired. _Try to catch me, you moron,_ the boy challenged.

"You want this thing, right!?" Issei swung his left arm. "Then fight me! Take it from my dead body if you want it!'

The enemy was the destroyers of the world.

They had been defeated, sealed, and crushed by a group of heroes. No matter how many allies they had gathered to oppose them, the world was protected and mankind survived all of their attacks.

The boy was no hero.

Even so, he would never forgive himself if he was to give up and let his friends suffer more than this.

* * *

A girl saw a form.

It was a red dragon. It soared through the sky and lured the monster away with its powerful presence. It was strong, unrelenting and never hesitating; not even once.

Because of that, the monster's attention was diverted away and nobody was harmed.

 _But,_ the girl thought as she raised her trembling right hand to her chest. _He's fighting while we stood still._

She didn't question his reason. She knew the straightforward boy who would act first before thinking. He was similar to her but he was different in so many ways that it was difficult to fully understand him. What was more, she didn't know how to talk to him considering what had happened during the trip.

 _But,_ the girl thought. _He's not going to step away even if it will hurt him._

If so, that made it simple. What she needed to do was so simple that she wanted to hit herself for taking her time.

She breathed in, breathed out and focused her mind.

The girl's right hand had stopped shaking. The Hero System in her left hand was held tightly and her eyes burned with renewed light.

Then, a storm of flower petals and light enveloped her.

* * *

Close to the Seto Inland Sea, a battle broke out.

Streaking across the sky, a red humanoid dragon flapped his wings and used his boosters to dodge his enemy's explosive shells. The air behind him continued to burst in flame and the dragon roared as he tried to close in to inflict some harms.

Even so, the battle had stalled as both sides could not cause any significant damage to each other.

"Dammit…!" Issei yelled as he dived down into the Jukai. "How the hell am I supposed to damage it!?"

[It seems to have learned from previous defeats,] Ddraig deduced. [Its armor, speed, firepower and accuracy have all risen greatly. I doubt any half-hearted attacks can even scratch it, partner.]

The boy clicked his tongue and landed on a vine. He quickly spun around, concentrated his magical energy in his left hand while his Sacred Gear responded in kind. _In that case…!_

[BOOST!]

As he felt his limbs growing thrice heavier than before and his mind going faint, Issei gritted his teeth and raised his left arm into the sky.

A small green orb emerged right above his left knuckle. The orb floated up in accordance to his will, his left arm pulled down and drawn behind as if notching an arrow before the left fist shot toward the green orb.

"Dragon Shot!"

A green ray of light pierced through the layers of vine and struck the 30-meter tall Vertex. Sound vanished except the buzzing resulted from the travelling beam energy, heat encased the area surrounding the ray of light and winds tore apart as the attack made its way to its target.

The ray of light hit the Virgo Vertex and dispersed in many directions.

" _What…!?_ "

What was that? No, Issei could tell what had happened but he could not understand how or even why it had happened. His enemy had _nullified_ his attack as if no-selling it!

Because of that, his position was located by the Virgo Vertex and it launched its explosive shells toward him. Issei spread his wings and flew away but the Vertex chased after him like a shark smelling blood in the water.

"Now this is crazy…" Issei snarled as he dived deeper into the labyrinth of vines. "Ddraig, is there any way for me to defeat it?!"

[Not a chance,] the dragon replied and grunted. [As I said before, those things are undefeatable. Without a specific method like this land's Sealing Ritual, a hatchling like you can only do so much against it, partner.]

 _So not even turning a dragon gives me the necessary strength to fight…_

Issei was about to curse out when he suddenly detected more presences approaching from behind the Vertex. He stopped flying, looked back and his eyes widened as he took in the familiar scents and auras only _they_ could have.

Before he knew it he floated and faced the Vertex, and even as he gritted his teeth to the point of hurting himself…

"…I… I have no choice, do I?" He asked as the wind blew and carried the sounds of approaching explosive shells.

[…No, I suppose not,] Ddraig said. [But your decision is not wrong. There's nothing wrong with your desire and it fuels your will to fight even though you can hardly help those priestesses.]

"But I…!"

[Enough.] The dragon grunted. [Go and join them, partner. Fight alongside those maidens you fell in love with. Do you intend to back away just because something went wrong?]

Issei stilled for a few moments. His thoughts raced, the strains of using Boosted Gear catching up to him and yet he still moved and flapped his wings.

The Vertex had noticed _their_ entrances into the battlefield. It had turned away as if ignoring him, and it probably did. Nobody could understand the mind of an eldritch abomination, after all.

As Issei quietly flew through the Jukai, he looked down at the green jewel embedded in the chest plate of his scale mail.

"…Ddraig."

[Yeah?]

"I've never thanked you for putting up with me all this time, haven't I?"

A short silence permeated. Then the boy heard an amused growl from inside his mind.

[What are you talking about at this point?] Ddraig said, [I've dealt with children younger than you, partner. Do you think I don't know how to handle a weird human like you?]

Issei breathed in. "…Are you implying that only weird people can be paired with Sacred Gears, and I'm as weird as them by extension!?"

[Hum. That's a good question, actually.]

"Why do you sound so thoughtful there, _oy!?_ "

 _Seriously,_ he thought as he exhaled. _Why are all the people around me so hyper-competent? I feel so terribly inadequate now…_

The sounds of flapped wings echoed. The dark sky above the Jukai did not change one bit and the sounds of battle had yet to reappear. In the midst of it all, Issei looked ahead.

He did not look down at his feet or even at the ground. His path was ahead of him, so he continued to fly and only looked at his destination. _That's right, there's nothing important below or even behind me._

He understood what he wanted. He knew what he lacked. He had been over it already, so why was he getting down like an idiot?

 _I'll accept that all,_ Issei decided. _It's fine to mull over it, it's fine to be worried, it's fine to fall back for a little because you need to accept the truth, but don't forget to keep on moving forward._

So he did. He held onto his words and he felt his body accelerating.

The winds struck him hard. His body resisted as the plates of his armor rattled from the force but; Issei kept going and broke through the winds.

 _Faster,_ he thought. _Reach them, let me reach them, let me fight by their side and claim my dream._

He would fight. He would get hurt. He would fall and feel helpless. He would probably crack under the pressures and he would probably complain about various things in the future.

 _But,_ he rebuked. _All I need to do is to get back up and face tomorrow with everything I have._

A path would surely open up, and there must be something at the end of it.

Something definitely existed beyond the struggles he would face. Even if it was not a miracle, even if it was not truly what he sought for, even if the shape of the dream was a little different… it'd definitely be the result of everyone's efforts. That was why…

"Let's go, Ddraig." Issei clenched his hands and ignited his boosters. "Let's go to the place we belong to."


	47. Chapter 40 - Blessings of the Gods II

**-Author's Note (bonus)-**

 **I almost forgot about addressing the OOC issue. To be honest, I found nothing wrong with what I wrote about the characters and felt they're IC. As for why Issei and the girls easily became friends so smoothly... Well, remember that Issei is practically a very awkward guy when in front of kind girls who don't judge him just because of his perverted streaks. Combine that with the Hero Club's pilosophy, the nature of the girls, Issei's current backstory, and his personal desire to have friends...**

 **Well, you get the point. But basically, the girls are, well... They are _Heroes_ not just because of they can kick ass.**

* * *

Red flowers bloomed one after another on the uppermost layer of the Jukai.

The gargantuan figure of Virgo Vertex screeched as it lashed out a barrage of attack. The cloth clinging to its tube-like body whipped and smashed through several vines at once but it did not hit any of its opponents.

"So, it's stronger than before…!" A girl clad in yellow summoned a great sword into her hands. "But if it's just like that, then as if you can be popular!"

A blue dog flashed into existence and faded away in yellow flower petals. The Fairy's blessing appeared in the form of the great sword extending in length and growing in width.

Fuu roared as she swung down her weapon. The enormous sword clashed against the Virgo's body but it had defended using its near-transparent cloth as if wearing an armor.

Sparks scattered, winds blew and a round of shockwave traveled through the air.

"Tch…! This thing is hard!" Fuu landed on a vine after the recoil threw her away.

The enemy had upgraded itself. Everyone around would definitely agree upon contacting it. Even Fuu had to admit that as she possessed the highest attack power in the team. It didn't matter how or why the Vertexes had returned; the important thing was that it must be destroyed.

Fuu blinked as she heard whistling sounds from above her. "Don't tell me... uwah!?"

The girl's instinct warned her and she propelled herself backward with a mighty leap. She immediately saw a concentrated bombardment striking, breaking, and destroying the platform she once stood on.

After she clicked her tongue, Fuu landed, ran down the tree vine she was on and leaped into another vine when her intuition alerted her again. A rain of explosive shells chased after her and the bursting noise filled the Jukai.

Before she could complain about a persistent stalker, several flashes of light pierced through the flying bombs and they all exploded in midair.

"Nice support, Tougou!" Fuu grinned and looked over her shoulder. "It's our chance! Seal its movements!"

Her announcement traveled through the battlefield and brought a change.

The first to leap into action was a pink-haired girl. She was accompanied by a brunette wielding twin swords and the two dashed toward the Virgo Vertex from behind it.

Karin threw her sword at it, but the monster responded as if it had eyes on its back. The cloth surrounding its upper body lashed out with a crack and the thrown sword shattered before it could hit its target.

"So, it has a solid defense…!" Karin looked up as the Vertex turned around to face her and Yuuna. "Itsuki, break its legs!"

As if on cue, arrows of light struck the cloth of the Virgo. The first bullet wave exploded upon contact but the second wave bypassed the defense and pierced through it.

Without wasting a moment, green threads rose from the labyrinth of vines surrounding the enemy. They all grabbed ahold of the Vertex's body and tied it down from moving even an inch.

Karin pumped her left fist. The girl shouted 'Nice!' and she ran ahead to set up the Sealing Ritual together with Yuuna.

"Alright, let's start!" Fuu shouted as she approached from the distance.

A diagram with a counter appeared beneath the Vertex. A storm of flower petals spiraled around it, and it stopped struggling and peeled its own head like a blooming flower. From what looked the closest as its head an object flew out and the Heroes braced themselves to—

"…Huh?" Someone muttered.

The polyhedron referred as Mitama glowed with black light. Its surface had many lines and suddenly it crumbled into tiny cubes that showered down like a hail.

"What!?" Fuu shouted, "It dismantled itself?!"

It wasn't all. The tiny cubes suddenly accelerated during their fall and flooded the area of sealing in no time at all. Itsuki yelped as her threads were cut one-by-one and hundreds of Virgo Vertex's Mitama poured down upon her.

"Itsuki!"

Fuu jumped down, enlarged her sword and shielded both her and her little sister from the falling shards.

She made it in time but soon she was trapped together with Itsuki. Both of them could not move from the spot and the Mitama kept on gushing forth its shards like a fountain.

"Fuu-senpai!" Yuuna yelled but she realized the shards didn't stop at pestering her friends alone.

The shards rained down, moved like a living being composed of a horde of smaller creatures and attacked using their overwhelming numbers.

The pink-clad Hero swung her fist and destroyed a hundred of them with one move. Shockwave blasted them away as the ground caved from the pressures, but the unharmed ones returned and closed in like a tidal wave.

Karin stepped ahead of Yuuna and swung her twin swords at the wave of shards. One after another. Dozens and then hundreds. The girl sliced apart the horde but some still passed through and attacked her from places her weapons could not reach.

"Watch out!" Yuuna dashed and plowed through a hundred of shards. "K-Karin-chan, there's no end to them!"

"I know that already!" Karin glowered. "At this rate, we're going to waste our time and energy just to defend ourselves…!"

What could they do? Even as artillery support arrived, Tougou's attacks were not suited to clear out an area full of enemies. What was more, everyone had a feeling that if there was still a single shard remaining, the Sealing Ritual could never be finished.

It was then a streak of green light suddenly descended from the heavens.

It consumed the Virgo Vertex, pierced through multiple layers of vines and destroyed the shards with a follow-up chain explosion. Yuuna cried out as she was thrown back alongside her friends from the powerful bursts of heat, winds, and power, but she was relatively unharmed.

As she landed on her feet, she looked up ahead. "Ow… W-What was that…?"

The smokes dissipated and the air's temperature cooled down, but it was hard not to miss the shimmering space around the area the Vertex was contained at.

Some parts of the vines which had been corroded from the Vertex's unique characteristic made sizzling noise, but the sparks of electricity and the billowing winds took a higher priority in her mind. Yuuna stared ahead of her with the gaping jaw and there was difficult to process all the information she had taken in.

 _What was that_ , she thought. A-An attack? But Tougou-san's bullet has a blue glow and…

She realized what had caused it. At the same time, something fell and landed in front of her.

Yuuna stepped back as the figure had extraordinarily wide wings and imposing aura. However, she soon recognized the set of scale mail and though they seemed bulkier and larger in numbers than before, she knew who was standing before her.

However, the boy swayed and fell backward.

"Ise-senpai…!?" Yuuna rushed out and caught the boy before he hit the ground. "H-Heavy…!"

The ground had been leveled from the ray of destructive green light. The armors her classmate was wearing were heavier than she thought and she was too close in proximity that her body was tilting backward.

Had it not been for Fairy's blessings, she would have fallen backward and be pressed down by Issei. She was about to breathe out in relief that wasn't the case but then she realized something was wrong.

"Ise…senpai?" Yuuna looked down at the limp right arm that seemed as if it was a thread hanging from a loose socket. "Senpai…? Y-Your arm…!"

Her words were cut off when she saw swarms of shards emerging from the crater in front of her eyes. The tiny polyhedrons flew upward like a tower and right above them, an object grew out of the thin air.

"That attack didn't eliminate them!?" Karin shouted. "How the hell is this guy so tough!?"

What were they going to do?

Yuuna looked up and closed her lips. She held tight Issei's body while she stared up at the falling swarms. It was when her mind resolved itself that she heard a ping from the side and she found herself looking at a floating red cat with blazing wheels on its sides.

"Eh…?" Yuuna blinked. "Wh-What are you..."

As the cat meowed and Gyuuki appeared by its side, suddenly Yuuna came to a realization.

The cat's name was Kasha. It was a Fairy and she knew that it was summoned because Yuuna had used Mankai before. The Kasha was an additional Fairy granted to her after she leveled up, and it could help her to destroy the Vertex in front of her.

Yuuna knew because the Hero System told her so. Being in a transformed state, she could gain access to the conceptual records the Shinju had and she could draw out the information she needed to know just by willing for it. _What the Fairy can do and what I can do with it is..._

"...I get it." Yuuna nodded and then lowered Issei down "Let's go, Gyuuki. Kasha."

The two Fairies dissolved into flower petals. Yuuna took a brief glance at her classmate, and she whispered to him with an inaudible voice.

"I'm off, Ise-senpai."

With that, she used a great strength and leaped into the sky. She exceeded the position of the regenerating Virgo Vertex and the moment her momentum vanished, she floated in midair before she turned to face downward.

"Hero…!" Yuuna straightened her right leg, bent her left leg and assumed a kicking attack. "Kiiiiiiccck!"

Flames burst from beneath her toes. As she descended down, the flames drew her in and propelled herself like a bullet.

The girl pierced through the body of the Vertex and struck the mountain that was its divided cores with her blazing kick.

Yuuna's roar resounded throughout the Jukai — then waves of molten lava burst from beneath her and consumed all of the Vertex's Mitamas in a blazing inferno.

* * *

He didn't know why, but everything was blurry.

He heard voices in the distance. He saw flitting shadows and dim orange light. His body was as heavy as lead, but he had a floating sensation.

 _Where… am I going…?_

He didn't know. He couldn't even hear Ddraig's voice or even sense his presence. It was strange, to be so detached from the world and feeling nothing about everything.

The boy heaved as the scenery blurred and shifted. He was seeing things. What was he seeing exactly? It was hard to say, but if there was something he could tell…

 _A… tree…?_

He saw branches. He saw a thick tree trunk that seemed so old and ancient. The tree was probably centuries-old and it must have aged so much it had lost any sign of vitality.

The withering tree let out a dim glow. Sometimes the coloration was white, sometimes it was red and blue, and sometimes it was yellowish turquoise green or dark purple. However, there was one constant among the ever-changing pallet of color.

The warm white light that encompassed many colors washed over him like a sunshine in the middle of spring.

"…Is he… alright?"

Who was there? He didn't know, and he couldn't recognize the voice. He could tell it seemed timid and quiet, though.

"Unfortunately, he's going to live," someone said, this time their voice was a lot deeper and rougher than the first speaker. "We're talking about a goddamned dragon here. I can't believe I got dragged all the way here just to check this sorry excuse of a fire-breathing lizard."

"…You do not seem pleased."

"Of course I'm not," the rough voice let out a scoff. "I should've known better about the stupidity cornered rats can pull out. The outside may look normal, but it turns out all of you are wretched beyond recognition on the inside."

Issei had a feeling he was missing something.

He didn't understand what the two were talking about. They were arguing but the one with rough speech seemed to one-sidedly judge their opponent.

"…You should know this better than anyone." The timid person inhaled. "This is all… for the sake of humanity's continued existence."

"Hah! So, what?" The rough person asked, "How long will you lots survive with that sort of mindset? One more year? Another decade? A century? Or is it until tomorrow?"

The sounds of footsteps began to fade away. The scenery once again blurred and the shadows gradually vanished from the corners of his eyes.

"Either way, I'll just take what I need and haul my ass off this disgusting place."

"…Even though you haven't found what you're looking for?"

"Do you have what I want, twerp?"

As silence descended, Issei lost his mental grips and his consciousness spiraled downward.

"I do," the timid person said after taking a harsh breath in. "I will give you what you want. But under one condition."

The abyss welcomed him. His body sank like a stone in the water and Issei finally closed his eyes.

* * *

Yuuna blinked twice to make sure she did not mistake what she perceived.

The winds were cold, and the sky was full of clouds. Even though she had been transported into the Jukai, for some reasons, time flowed a little differently this time, as it seemed that rain would fall at any moment.

Where was she? Where was this place? Where did everyone go? Why did she lose him when she had definitely felt his warmth and heartbeat just a moment ago? _Where is—_

"Yuuna-chan…"

Feeling a tug on her sleeve, she looked to the side. Yuuna found her best friend there, already untransformed just like her. However, Tougou must have noticed something was strange as well and searched for something to ease her mind no matter how little.

Yuuna responded by holding her friend's hand and smiled. In turn, Tougou's strained expression relaxed somewhat and she smiled as well.

"Aah… I've finally met you."

Once they heard an intruding voice, the two looked ahead of them.

The first thing they realized was the scenery. They had been fighting near the Seto Inland Sea but it was still around the prefecture of Sanshu. In other words, the landscape did not match.

Facing the Seto Inland Sea, a ruined bridge was there. Its massive frame had been left to time's care, so the rusted steel and broken pieces of concrete twisted and bent upward like a ladder to the heavens.

Yuuna knew what the bridge was; she had seen it before on the news and heard of talks from various people about it.

"The Great Bridge…" Tougou murmured. "Why are we in Sakaide…? And…"

As the two looked at the source of the voice, Yuun's breath was caught in her throat. The same went to Tougou as their eyes reflected a robed figure resting in a bed.

It was a girl in a pale purple hospital robe. She had a long dirty-blond hair flowing out from thick layers of bandages that wrapped most of her head, and her brown eye shimmered with a light of the sunset. It was hard to not wonder what had happened to her and it was even harder not to wince as the bandages didn't stop at covering her head, but also the majority of her body.

"You are…" Tougou muttered under a series of short breaths.

The girl smiled as the health monitoring devices next to her bed beeped in a constant rate.

The blonde craned her head up. "…I guess it should be 'Nice to meet you'. Either way, hello, Yuuki Yuuna-chan. Tougou Mimori-chan."

The two did not understand what had happened.

 _She knows our names_ , Yuuna thought. _But who is she…? Have, have we met somewhere before…?_

Try as she might, nothing came to mind. Yuuna wasn't exactly good at memorizing but she would have at least felt familiar with someone as conspicuous as the one before her. And I would have asked for her name if I ever saw her before…

"There's no need to be worried," the bedridden girl said. "You are my guests right now, and someone is holding the line for me. It's unfortunate that I couldn't get all of you in time though, and Han-kun is…"

The girl shook her head.

"…No, this is a far better outcome than I what I initially hoped for. I should be happy even with this kind of result."

 _What… is she talking about…?_

Yuuna couldn't come up with a way to explain the girl's behavior. She seemed pleased and her voice sounded soft like chiming bells. Even so, there was a nostalgic impression to the point that it might as well be melancholic.

 _…Why do you sound like you're about to cry…?_

"A-Are you… alright?"

Before she knew it she had raised her voice and asked the girl in front of her. Tougou tightened her grip around Yuuna's hand, but she knew why she did that. The two of them were worried and yet they did not know what to do.

The bedridden girl's smile deepened as if she noticed that. She closed her left eye, nodded down as if to reaffirm herself and placed her left hand over her chest.

"I am," she said. "I feel so happy right now that my body feels as light as a feather. Do you know how happy I am right now?"

The girl did not let Yuuna respond. Even so what she said was not what Yuuna expected.

"This is the second time that my wish was heard and granted to me," the girl with dirty blond hair said after she sighed. "I'm not so sure what should I say now…"

As she tilted her head, her left eye gradually reopened and a shimmering light seemed as if glowing within it.

Yuuna wondered if she were flustered as red tinted her pale cheeks.

"…May I…" Tougou suddenly said as she moved her wheelchair forward. "May I know who we are talking to?"

The bedridden girl and the wheelchair-bound girl exchanged gazes. The former then chuckled and breathed out.

"Nogi," she said. "My name is Nogi Sonoko. Don't you remember me, _Wasshi_?"

For some reasons, silence permeated.

For some reasons, unbearable tranquility devoid of speech grabbed ahold of the atmosphere.

"…I…" Tougou's hand which was on her wheelchair's armrest twitched. "…I'm sorry, but I don't believe we have met each other before, Nogi- _san_."

Yuuna saw the light in Nogi Sonoko's eye trembling. It suddenly vanished and the girl's smile did not change for the slightest.

Keeping her smile, Sonoko heaved lightly. "I see… I must have mistaken you for my dear friend, then."

...Was that truly so? Yuuna had a feeling the bedridden girl seemed to believe otherwise. _Then, does that mean she's lying…?_

As if answering her curiosity, Nogi Sonoko laughed lightly with a hand covering her lips.

"Well," she said. "You see, Wasshi is a dear friend of mine. Together with Mino-san, the three of us made a promise to be friends forever."

"...I… I see…" Tougou responded as if unsure.

"Umm…" Yuuna looked back and forth between her friend and the mysterious girl. "You seem like you're very fond of them, Nogi-san..."

For the second time, the girl in bandages and hospital robe laughed. It was once again, a light laughter but this time, Yuuna could feel pride seeping from her voice.

"Yes, we are really close, Yuuna-chan." Nogi Sonoko beamed. "I can't make friends so easily, after all. That's why I love those two very much. Then, there's also another person though I have a different definition of 'love' for him."  
 _  
But_ , the girl added. There was an emphasis on that one word, and though it lacked strength, it possessed unimaginable conviction that it drew both Yuuna's and Tougou's attentions all at once.

"Even still, I have longed for the day to meet you." The girl tilted her head and through a strained smile added, "We still have time. Shall we exchange stories?"


	48. Chapter 41 - Blessings of the Gods III

Issei wasn't sure how long he slept, so when he opened his eyes and realized that he was surrounded by waterfalls, his thoughts were summed up in one word.

"…Huh?"

Since he didn't know what to make of the situation, he chose to sit up and take a deep breath. Once wasn't enough, so he breathed out and breathed in as much as necessary.

After he calmed down, he looked up and realized something different about him.

Issei rotated his right shoulder, rolled around his hand and forearm, and then he moved his elbow to understand what had happened.

"...My right arm," the boy said. "It's completely healed…"

Did someone healed him while he was asleep? There was no doubt about it, but…

"Who did this? And why am I left here after I got healed?"

Could it be related with the place he was in? That might be the case. He was on a flat limestone with a shallow lake surrounding it. Tall and domineering walls stood to create an enclosed space making Issei think he was in some places like in a deep valley.

"That means these walls are cliffs…" Issei looked up and nodded. "Yeah, there are trees and grass up there. Looks like they're cliffs, alright."

The boy was exasperated. He was in a predicament, alright.

First, he had no information whatsoever about the environment. Second, he had no idea where to go. Lastly… He sensed something fishy in the air.

He couldn't grasp it well, but he knew that something was off with the place he found himself in. It was in the air, in the water, and the stone he was lying on. It was as if something dyed everything with a distinct scent that sent goosebumps over his skins…

"Ddraig, can you hear me?"

"...Ddraig?" Issei looked to his left arm in wonderment before he realized a more pressing matter. "Wait… why can't I summon Boosted Gear? What happened!?"

He immediately stood up and looked around for an answer. As if his questions were heard, he detected a different presence nearby and whipped his eyes to identify it.

"H-Heracles…?" Issei gasped as he saw a familiar man sitting on a giant boulder as tall as a two-storey house. "...What is he doing…?"

He wouldn't know unless he asked, so the boy approached him. He walked through the shallow lake, realized that the water reached only up to his thighs, and then weaved a path towards the boulder.

However, when he was about to reach a range where his voice could travel through without being silenced by the sounds of the waterfalls…

"How surprising," Heracles suddenly said. "I didn't expect you to wake up after only three hours."

"...Huh…?" Issei blinked. "Wait, are you saying I passed out!?"

"In the middle of a battle." Heracles nodded. "You went beyond your limits with that Sacred Gear, anyway. Sixteen Boosts, huh? Normal humans would have died long ago."

He offhandedly told Issei 'Aren't you happy to be a dragon now?' so nonchalantly that the word stabbed deep into his conscience. _I didn't expect this guy to throw out sarcasms…_

"Ugh… leave me alone, will you?" Issei sighed, "It's not like I have any other choices…"

"That's why you are an idiot."

The boy glared at him to no avail. The foreigner sitting in lotus position merely grunted and looked ahead, but it was hard to discern his intention so Issei followed his gaze and spotted something unusual.

"...Is that a stone Torii?" Issei looked up and down at the gate decorated with mosses and old paint. "...Is this a sacred ground?"

"How should I know?" Heracles grunted like the rude guy he was. "This place is meant specifically to cleanse your 'Impurity' and elevate yourself into a higher position."

 _So it really_ is _a sacred ground._

Issei wasn't a believer, but Shinto teachings were not outside of his pool of knowledge. It was taught in classical history and his grandparents often told him stories related to the Shinto's major rituals.

For example, the ritual of washing your body in a cold spring was a mean to shed the sins and worldly taints from your body and soul. In that sense, a naturally formed lake with a Torii erected in the middle of it had a way of telling him that it was a sacred place and that it could be used for Purification Rituals.

"...Did Taisha send me here?"

"Oh, they certainly did," Heracles replied without beating the bushes. "Some were against it but most of them agreed that you couldn't be left as it was. Even their tiny _Miko_ gave her stamp of approval."

"...Why would they care?" Issei frowned upon imagining those poorly-designed masks and the attitude of the Shinju's believers. "I'm not one of them and Ddraig is the _Welsh_ Dragon. Why would they—"

"Stop being a fool and accept reality already." Heracles suddenly cut off Issei's words. "Heroes are extremely important figures in the eyes of the zealots. Even if you go around the world and ask every cultist you come across, they'd still bow down to you and worship the ground you walk on."

"...That sounds annoying."

The Greek Champion snorted as if saying 'Are you an idiot?' "It's especially bad since the two of us here have high-ranked Sacred Gears. We are living proofs of the Old Era and everything that comes with it. What's more, the Longinus-series have been reduced to twelve during the Apocalypse. Feel free to curse your fate, brat."

For some reasons, Heracles lectured Issei particularly harshly this time. Issei didn't like being looked down upon but he couldn't deny the wisdom in the Champion's words.

 _I'll just let it enter my left ear and exit my right ear if I ever found some nonsense._

"Then, now what?" Issei asked. "I'm already awake and my wounds have been healed. I can go home, right?"

"You think you can?"

 _...huh?_ Issei heard his instructor laughing and it was unpleasant to his ears. He didn't like the condescending tone in that voice and he hated how noisy the giant of a man was.

Issei looked at the boulder only to see Heracles standing up. From below, he could see the waterfalls falling from the cliffs and he could see the vegetation that grew above the cliffs, but the sky was full of clouds and only small streams of sunlight could illuminate the lake he was in.

The absurdly tall and absurdly buff Greek Champion's figure became imposing because of that. It was annoying to know how much the lighting could enhance an impression.

"Let me tell you one thing, brat." Heracles leaped from the boulder and landed close to the Torii. "This place reeks of power because it's a power spot from two sources. One is the Dragon Veins that branched and pooled in one place, while the other is because a God lives in this place."

...What? _Dragon Veins and God…?_

"What do you mean by that?" Issei turned around and faced the man. "The Dragon Veins mean Leylines, right? But what do you mean by 'a God lives in this place'?"

Heracles folded his arms and straightened his back.

"I meant what I said," he responded. "A God… a _Collective_ of Gods, actually, live in this place. It has taken root in this world ever since three-hundred years ago and it can produce plants, animals, and even fresh air."

"...Isn't that…"

"The thing you lots call 'Shinju'." The man nudged at the Shinto-styled gate behind him. "This gate can lead you to its living space. Well, it's got a lot of barriers and charms set in place, so not even _I_ can trash around without getting my entire existence erased."

 _So, what is your point…?_ Issei began to wonder if Heracles was going crazy. He was already a head case due to his battlelust. He didn't even hesitate in throwing punches that could kill ordinary people in one hit. _Now he suddenly talked about strange things without any reason or purpose…_

Really, what did he want anyway?

"First of all…" Ignoring him and his thoughts, Heracles started. "Congrats, brat. You couldn't save anyone or even your world."

"…Huh…?"

…What… did he just say? He had… failed...?

"Didn't I tell you before?" Heracles narrowed his eyes. "If you wanted to stop, you could stop. But you didn't and now you're here in this place."

As the Greek Champion clasped his hands together, a round of applause filled the atmosphere of the lake surrounded with waterfalls..

Anxiety filled Issei's heart, the cold air slowly encasing his limbs as questions after questions raced through his mind. They all weighed him down like lead, and he wanted to deny it all post-haste.

However… why did he think the man before him was right?

"What… What do you mean by that?" Issei unconsciously straightened his back. "I don't get what you're saying. I didn't fail; I protected my world and everyone that I love."

He had succeeded.

 _That's right_. He had indeed succeeded.

He had protected his friends and the place he belonged to, so he had definitely achieved something. In this world, he had carved out some kind of proof of his existence.

 _But why,_ the boy thought. _Why can't I calm down…?_

"You don't know? Then allow me to explain why you failed, Sekiryuutei."

As words flowed out, a cold wind pierced through the forest and disappeared into the darkening heavens above.

It was then that the truth was revealed, and all Issei could do upon confronting it was…

* * *

A breeze blew through a certain viewing spot near the ruin of the Great Bridge. It was a summer breeze so it carried both warmth and coolness together as it touched Yuuna's red hair.

She was sitting on a stool set next to Nogi Sonoko's bed. Right by her side, Tougou watched silently with her hands placed on her lap and overlapping each other.

The two members of Sanshu Middle School's Hero Club had been conversing with the bedridden girl.

About their daily lives, their club activities, their school and various hang out places they used… There were so many things to talk about, and Yuuna realized her cheeks had slowly loosened as she conveyed her story to Sonoko.

"Aha ha… So that's how it is." The bedridden girl looked up to the sky. "I wish I can meet the other members of your Hero Club… It must be full of fun."

Tougou hummed in thoughts. "Actually... I think you can meet them all, Nogi-san."

"Un… That's right! We can come and visit you next time, Sonoko-chan!" Yuuna added.

The girl in hospital robe softly smiled and her left eye once again shimmered with gentle light inside.

"You know, someone promised me something similar to that." The blonde closed her eye and formed a thin smile. "But I chose to do it my way. I can't keep on troubling him forever, after all."

 _That was why,_ the girl added through a strained smile.

"…Yuuna-chan, Mimori-chan. I'm sorry for taking you here even though you have just fought off the Vertex."

It was then that the two Heroes of Sanshu widened their eyes. _H-How did she know..._

"It's alright," reassured Sonoko. "I know because I am involved with Taisha. Well, I guess you can say that I'm your senior too."

"Senior…? But, doesn't that mean…"

Sonoko nodded. "I'm also a Hero. Just like you, Yuuna-chan."

Surprise stirred Yuuna's heart.

There were a lot of questions that came with the sudden revelation, but her best friend chose to take only one issue with it.

"How come we don't know anything about that…?" Tougou leaned forward, paused, and then shook her head. "No, even more than that… Does that mean the Vertexes did this to you…?"

At her question, Nogi Sonoko waited for several moments as if trying to catch a breath. Of course, Yuuna and Tougou were painfully aware of the state of their 'senior,' and if what Tougou implied was true, then...

"Yuuna-chan, you have bloomed, haven't you?"

Yuuna muttered out a surprised sound at Sonoko's sudden question.

She wasn't prepared for the curve ball. As she straightened her back but failed to put up an air, Sonoko's gaze met hers and caused her to shrink her shoulders. At the same time, Tougou turned her gaze to her as if following after the bedridden girl's direction.

"I heard that your senses have dulled somewhat lately," Sonoko pressed on. "All five senses at once, and it started ever since the big battle ended. Right?"

As she felt a pit forming in her stomach, Yuuna trembled and asked how Sonoko knew that.

The blonde continued to keep up her smile as if wearing a mask. "Do you remember when many lights surrounded you and your desire to fight burned brighter than ever? The burst of raging power entering your body is what blooming – it is what _Mankai_ is."

 _...I… I didn't know that..._

"But you see…" Sonoko inhaled. "What do you think happens after a flower blooms?"

The blonde's brown eye moved and reflected Tougou's figure. It was as if Sonoko knew something Yuuna's best friend did not know, and it was difficult for Tougou not to look away from the gaze.

"When you bloom, a hidden mechanism of the Hero System activates," Sonoko sighed. "It is called _Sange_."

Sange – otherwise known as abscission.

Yuuna knew what it referred to. It was a term meant to represent falling flower.

A flower could never have a long lifespan. The moment it bloomed was the moment it had reached the highest point of its life. It had climbed through the earth, fought against any external and internal interference, and then displayed its beauty and splendors for a brief moment before it fell and wither away.

 _...But that means..._

If Mankai meant 'blooming,' then Sange was…

"…After you bloomed, you should have lost function somewhere in your body."

* * *

"...You're lying."

As a cold wind created a rippling wave on the lake's surface, Issei stared at his instructor's face to look for any signs of deceit.

He must be wrong. There was no way that actually happened. After all... _After all, everyone is alright…!_

"Why would I lie?" The man snorted yet again without losing his composure unlike Issei. "I get no benefit in lying to you and I couldn't care less about this whole land. That's why someone like me can say this; only an outsider like me can say this without getting 'taken care of' by the organization that rules this land."

Issei wanted to deny that.

Heracles was a callous person and a bad example of an adult. Issei didn't like him, and Sonoko treated him like a servant. He also talked with his fists and he had a troublesome personality.

It was to the point of being so blunt that his honesty might as well drive everyone away, just like a certain Storm God recorded in _Nihon Shoki_.

"You… You're lying!" Issei shouted in denial. "There's no way that can be true! There must be a mistake—"

"What about that girl that always stayed in bed?"

Issei sucked in air. He lost the chance to speak up against his instructor, and he also realized that he had no way to explain about why his dear friend was bedridden.

Why was she covered in bandages?

Why was she worshipped by the members of Taisha?

Why did she refer to herself as a Hero and then a Goddess?

"You realized that you've neglected some things because you desired to be close with her," the man before his eyes pointed out. "That's your first flaw. For the sake of what you want, you're prepared to neglect everything else. Yes, you will not mind sacrificing the world if it's to get something you truly want."

Before he knew it, Issei had balled his hands into fists. His grip tightened as he bit his lips, and he sensed warm liquid slowly leaking from the gaps between his fingers.

When he looked down, a deep red taint spread beneath the surface of the lake and was dispersed by the flowing water.

"...So…" The boy hitched a breath, suppressed the spiking adrenaline in his veins and growled at the giant of a man. "...What… of it? Why is it wrong? I can't protect everything, after all, so I…!"

"Your second flaw is there, you moron." Heracles suddenly cut off with a similarly cold and furious glare. "Why do you decide that you can't protect everything? Have you tried to do anything so big it seems impossible? Have you tried to _save the world_ with your own two hands, even though you know there's no saving it? Have you ever looked at absolute despair in the eyes and shouted 'Hell no!' to it?"

 _That's…!_

"Well? Did you ever try to do that?!"

At the yelling directed to him, Issei could only look away.

What was he supposed to say anyway? Did Heracles even understand him at all? Of course not. As if he would understand when he didn't even know who Hyoudou Issei was.

 _Then,_ the boy thought. _Then why can't I refute his words at all?_

There could only be one answer to that question.

A part of Hyoudou Issei realized how _sound_ Heracles' accusations were, and a part of him acknowledged them. Even though his logic dictated that was not true, his heart could not lie that he had already given up so many things in life.

His humanity, his ideal of heroism, his promise with his childhood friend, his promise with his new friends… There were so many things Issei had given up that he couldn't remember them all exactly.

"...I…" Issei gasped as if a hand was slowly choking the air out of his throat. "I'm…"

He couldn't say it.

He didn't know how to articulate his thoughts now. A lot of emotions ran on parallel inside him and the clashing emotions made him feel nauseous.

However, ignoring all that, Heracles began to walk forward.

"The power of the Gods is already something impossible for ordinary humans to contain even for a brief period of time," said the Champion of Greek. "But this land's people utilize not only that in this Hero System. The life force of the planet – the Dragon Veins – is also used as a component of Mankai to give further boosts of power for the Heroes."

The water splashed and rippled. As he made his way toward Issei, the waves spread behind his back.

"When a flower blooms, one flower will fall. If two flowers bloom, then two flowers will fall. That is the nature of Sange," the man said as he drew closer. "That's the entire truth hidden from you brats. And that is a secret your father doesn't want you to ever find out."

The boy's eyes widened in shock.

"Dad… didn't want me to find out…?" Issei stepped back. "W-Why!? Why is he doing that?! Why is he hiding-"

"How should I know? Go ask him if you want to know, though it's already too late at this point."

The man merely shrugged as if to emphasize it was truly none of his business.

That might be the truth. He might be correct. Even so, was it necessary to goad and look down on people like that? Was it even needed?

"...Damn… it…"

As Issei cursed under his breaths, Heracles seemed to take no heed of it, and when he stood right before Issei...

"One more thing," the man said. "As the Heroes fight and become stronger, Mankai will activate alongside Sange and those fools will lose a piece of themselves."

 _But did you know this,_ Heracles asked.

"What do you think of this system? Don't you think it's so well-made for a specific purpose that it reminds you of something?"

What was he going to say next?

Issei's tongue was tied right then and there. Not because he was clueless, but because he recalled a specific piece of knowledge the country had for as long as it existed.

He had heard of it in legends and folklore. He had listened to it in classes and learned it from reading books. In this country – in his homeland, a certain religious teaching existed and lived through until today in various forms.

In exchange for a blessed miracle, one would lose something important to them.

In exchange for mighty power needed to defeat malevolent beings, sacrifices were made and taken away by the divine beings that lived above the clouds.

In exchange for one's life or fate, the wrath of the Gods could be appeased and peace was returned to the land.

It was a Shinto teaching, but it was also a practice done out of desperation. It had occurred throughout history, and it had various forms and steps depending on the circumstances. However, there was one similarity amongst them.

It was known as a rite of Purification.

Its other name was a cruel ritual known as Human Sacrifice.

* * *

"How could… How could something like that be allowed…?"

As Yuuna looked to her best friend, she noticed the tears in the corners of her eyes. However, the same could be said to her as she could not contain the emotions bursting from her shaken heart.

She wished for an answer, so she turned her gaze to Nogi Sonoko. She hoped that their fears and worries were for naught, and that Sonoko was simply joking around.

However...

"...Right now, there is no one who possess the correct affinity to be perfectly attuned with godly beings," Sonoko stated. "Above all else, ordinary humans cannot accommodate Shinju-sama's divine power. If they force their ways, then not only will their bodies crumble away, their souls as well will vanish from the cycle of reincarnation."

As she heard more of the hidden truth, a part of her wondered if she should trust the girl before her eyes. Even so, another part of her felt anger and despair over what the truth conveyed to her and her friend.

Why them?

Why did it have to be her and her friends?

Why weren't there any other alternatives?

How come there was no better option for Taisha to use beside the current Hero System?

"...Are we… going to lose more?" Tougou raised another question. "Are we… going to keep on fighting, sacrificing parts of ourselves, and losing all that we have…?"

The girl with dirty-blond hair stared at Yuuna's best friend. She gave a long gaze at her countenance, and then she shook her head as she tried to pose a reassuring smile.

"…It's alright," said Sonoko. "After all, in exchange for power… Heroes can never die."

 _…Can… never die…?_

"It is something like compensation, you see." Sonoko slowly looked away and gazed down as if staring at her reflection. "As we offer ourselves more and more, we elevate ourselves and become closer with the Gods. You can say that Heroes are all immortal beings akin to demigods, and with enough Mankai, we will become full-fledged deities someday."

"That's… but, that means…!"

That meant what?

Was it a good thing to never die?

Was it truly a wonderful thing to know that you stopped being a human?

Was it truly alright for your death to be taken away from you?

Yuuna did not know. She truly did not know the answer to the questions piling up in her mind. As such, she could only fall silent and recalled the figure of a boy who had done the exact same thing as Sonoko did.

 _Back then,_ Yuuna thought as her mind drifted to the times she visited the boy while he was hospitalized. _Back then too, I couldn't say anything..._

She had visited him when the boy had nearly lost his life. For the first and second time, she had voiced out her worries and tried to help him in some way; all so that the boy could cheer up and live without hanging his head down forever.

Even so, the third time he was hospitalized… All Yuuna could do was repeat her actions, and she realized that it wasn't enough at all.

 _Words aren't enough to restore what he has lost,_ the girl thought. _Even then, I can't do anything that can help him reclaim what he has given up._

Now she understood why she left while bottling in her worries deep in the corner of her heart.

 _I don't have anything that could ease his sufferings…_

It was the same this time as well.

A person had suffered a fate worse than death before her. The same fate had also befallen Yuuna, Fuu and Itsuki, and it would also occur to Tougou and Karin if nothing was done.

 _...But…_

"E-Even so…!" Yuuna suddenly stood up from her chair. "We've defeated all twelve Vertexes! We also destroyed the survivor today, so we don't need to fight anymore!"

Yes. Everything would be alright. It would definitely be alright. Beyond the cloudy and stormy days, a clear blue sky would definitely appear.

Yuuna believed that was so. She had to believe that was the case, otherwise…

 _...Otherwise, what point is there to all of our suffering…!?_

* * *

The clouds had gathered up and slowly devoured the light of the sun.

The air was humid, and a chilly wind rolled over the surface of the shallow lake. As two males faced each other, one of them asked.

"Do you really expect that kind of naive wish to be granted so easily?"

The sounds of the falling waterfalls filled the air. However, the cacophony of noise could not match the rumbling clouds in the sky and as the last specks of sunlight vanished within the rolling grey clouds, so too did the water of the lake lost its brilliance.

Heracles did not stop walking. He met the shaking gaze of his disciple, scoffed, and then passed by him as if dismissing his existence.

"How long has that girl you love stayed in bed?" The man told him, "An offering given to the Gods cannot be taken back. That means there's no chance for that girl to recover, and the same goes to your so-called friends."

That was why he failed.

That was why Hyoudou Issei failed.

Heracles heard the water rippling and crashing. Then he heard a whimper mixed with a growl.

When he looked over his shoulder, the boy had charged at him with his right fist lunged to his back.

"How stupid can you become?"

A solid sound echoed.

Amidst the sounds of streaming waters, Heracles caught the punch with his right hand. He reinforced his body with spells and life force, anchored his feet to the bottom of the lake and pushed aside his idiotic student.

The boy's body flew and crashed into the cliffs that had no waterfall veiling it.

"It's useless to do anything now," Heracles grunted. "This story is already finished. There's no such thing as a happy ending for you—"

With a roar the boy flew out of the cliff and landed in the lake.

His very movement rocked the water as he regained his balance. Then, Heracles saw the boy's left arm consumed in red light.

The man clicked his tongue.

"So that damn tree chose to give it's support no matter what," Heracles looked to the stone Torii gate and snorted. "Not only are the people a bunch of idiots, the Gods too do not want to give up on humans even though they have misused the power given to them."

What a load of bullcrap.

They knew that the end was about to arrive above anyone else, yet they still struggled and wished for tomorrow to arrive. Be it the people, the Gods or even the Demons of this land...

"None of you want to give up on yourself or even each other."

However, the transgression was already made and the truth was already revealed. At this point, the country was going to face its destined doom and nobody could stop it.

At the very least – this island named Shikoku would be taken away by the enemy.

 _And the dragon doesn't want to give in,_ Heracles contemplated. _There's no other choice but to drag him by the collar, Cao Cao._

The boy's left arm had finally manifested a red scaled gauntlet. The parts around the elbow expanded, revealing a sharp yellow spike while black-colored runes engraved themselves on the surface of the gauntlet.

The two green gems embedded in the equipment glowed and the aura of the boy doubled in size and density.

The water surrounding him rippled. The air shook as thunder boomed in the grey sky above. As violent winds surged through the valleys, there could only be one term to speak of the current situation, and Heracles whispered as memories of the past caught up to him

 _"_ A storm is about to arrive."

* * *

"I'm sorry," Nogi Sonoko said after all that she had revealed. "It's awful, isn't it? I'm sorry for bringing up this kind of thing to both of you."

After all, there was no stopping the falling tears. Sonoko watched Yuuki Yuuna comforting Tougou Mimori, but all she could see was a reflection of the past.

 _This is the same as before,_ she thought with her eye deeply closed. _Just like when Mino-san left us…_

That was a horrible battle.

It was a battle that happened two years ago, and it was a cruel battle. Sonoko fought with confidence, believing that the three of them could win but that hope was crushed.

 _The Vertexes took Mino-san away from us._

She wondered why the Shinju chose young children like Sonoko to bear the weight of the world. Three centuries had gone by with an almost everlasting peace, and yet the Vertexes appeared and now the world that everyone knew was resting on a knife's edge.

Could there be an end to this war?

Was all of Sonoko's and her friends' struggles worth anything?

Was it even worth it to protect a world that had taken so many of the girl's important treasures?

"...Hey," the girl called out to her guests. "Yuuna-chan, Mimori-chan. Do you… know what I truly wish for?"

What was she doing?

There was nothing more to be said. It was enough with this. The truth had been unveiled and she was given an extended duration of time to be with the person she wished to meet the most.

At this rate, she'd need to pay for compensation and apologize to her helpers that had tried so hard to prevent Taisha from knowing this meeting. Was it alright to inconvenience everyone more than this?

 _...I really am a greedy person…_

"You see, my wish is a simple one," Sonoko continued on as if monologuing. "I want to be with my friends. I want to walk again on my own two feet and embrace them with both of my arms."

What she wanted does not exist in the present, or even in the future.

"I want to spend more times with everyone that I love… That way, I wouldn't mind even if Taisha never told me the truth."

But that expectation was betrayed.

She was too late to realize. She had lost most of her body and her friends were no longer by her sides. Even though she wished for a miracle to happen, the form of it did not match her expectations.

 _What is the point of doing this...?_

"...Taisha might be hiding the truth, but that too is a form of kindness." Sonoko strained a smile. "A gentle lie can protect you from the harshness of the truth."

However, that too was merely an excuse.

Sonoko did not deny that. Words were just words. Many people believed action spoke louder than words, and people always wanted to believe in whatever things that could easily comfort them the most. Full of hypocrisy and self-importance...

 _...That's just how humans are._

Even so, Taisha was formed by many people. Those very people held many thoughts inside of their hearts, and desired for something from the power the organization had. To deny all of their thoughts and lump them together would be utter disrespect like no other.

"...That is why," the girl said through a rough breath. "That is why… please… whatever will happen in the future…"

 _Please… I beg of you…_

"I want you to know that you and I have met each other." A trail of tear lined down the girl's cheek. "Please remember this… and believe what you believe in."

Yes. That was right.

Even if it was unbearably hard...

Even if there was nothing at the end of the road...

Even if what they believed in was a ruined future full of despair…

To keep on holding something dear in one's heart was more than enough for Nogi Sonoko.


	49. Interlude - The Defeated Leader

He was a man of taste.

Well, he wasn't adding 'and wealth' in the sentence since his pocket money often ran dry before he could realize it. His buddies would scold him and he would be grounded from continuing with his hobby. Today was no different so now he's lounging at his friend's cafe which resided in the corner of the town.

"...I didn't expect to really find you here."

 _Oh, he arrived_ , the man thought as he sipped his coffee. _Nice, very nice, indeed._

"Want some?" He raised his coffee mug for a recommendation. "It's on this guy's tab."

The visitor of the rundown cafe looked to the counter and at the barrister. He gulped as the man in the process of drying a tall glass mug glared at him, but he did not take a step back to prove that he had something to gain even if he had to risk his life.

 _Kah, now this is interesting._

"I don't like that smile." The barrister said though it was definitely directed only at a specific person.

 _What a pain... this guy's still the same_. "Come on, now. We've got plenty enough time so why not enjoy life? You're just going to add more wrinkles on your pointy face."

"Shut up. I was born like this. Also, why are you here, A—"

"Oh, yeah. Hyoudou, right? Come and have a seat. You're probably beat after trying to find this place."

The middle-aged man strained his expression. He took out a handkerchief from his sleeve, wiped off the sweat on his forehead and did as he was told to. After that, it was time to call for privacy.

"Give him the usual," the man of taste said. "If you put something in the drink, make sure it's not going to cause any incident, got that?"

The barrister stilled, gave a glare that could kill and spewed curses under his breath. At the end of it, however, he gave up and went to the back of the cafe with his sleek black hair tailing him.

"...He doesn't seem very sociable," the visitor said.

"Yeah, well..." The man holding a mug of coffee snorted. "He's got nothing to do after the world changed, so you can say that he is sick of living like this. He's a troublemaker, really."

Hyoudou expressed his confusion through raising his eyebrows.

"Then why is he here?"

The man laughed at that question. It was one thing for a stranger to bluntly ask like that, but the man chalked it up as a quality of the person he was talking to. His childish spirit was burning bright and he couldn't contain his excitement to know more about what Hyoudou Ichirou had in mind.

 _Yes_ , he thought. _This is wonderful._

"Now, let's not get ourselves sidetracked. There have only been a few lines after the introduction," the man claiming to have a refined taste said as he looked up to the ceiling. "A proper meeting requires a topic to discuss, but one needs a summary beforehand, right?"

The brown-haired man frowned but he agreed nonetheless. He looked like he wants to say more yet he probably believed that it wasn't the right time to do that.

It was nice. Rashness and carefulness tended to not synergize well so it was a rare find.

In his opinion, it was such a waste for the visitor to already be a member of a different Faction. Hyoudou Ichiro could have worked better at the man's place. It was famous for its adaptive work ethic and the Japanese man could have gone very far if he was allowed to do anything he wanted.

 _Oh well_ , the regular of the rundown cafe thought with a shrug. _You win some, you lose some_.

"Yes," Hyoudou then replied. "Allow me to explain what I have. I've been sneaking around and doing things behind my family's back but I can finally say I'm done with all of this shit."

 _...Hmm?_

"Are you upset?" The man raised an eyebrow. "I guess something must have happened."

Before an answer was given out, the man raised his left hand to give a stop signal while his right hand moved the lip of his mug to meet his lips.

"Don't tell me anything," he said after he sipped his coffee. "I'm going to retire soon, so I don't want any trouble."

"...Is it for you or is it for your Faction?" Hyoudou asked.

 _Well, now..._

"What do you think?" The regular laughed after he replied thusly. "But seriously, I'm just a loser and I had to bow my head repeatedly to that nice lady with golden fur if I want my underlings to survive here. I'm nothing special."

"...You said that, but how many times have you saved this country from falling out?" Hyoudou sighed. "At least you don't act like you're ruling anything. It's been a series of hard times for me lately."

Really, now? The man wasn't privy to the details as he had already committed himself to not directly interfere with the country's business. Whatever Taisha did, as long as it did not harm him and his group, then it was fine.

 _The brat at my place would be dissatisfied with living in a peaceful age, though..._

"How so?" The man with a fine taste asked. "Did the Gods decide it's time to throw a party and started dancing naked? I'd prefer it if Uzume and Inari did it. Maybe with Amaterasu as well, though she's going to break me in halves quite literally if she got drunk."

"...Those three are major deities of my homeland. I can't believe you're treating them as if they're highschool girls..."

The man snorted and asked if Hyoudou didn't like it. Much to his surprise, the middle-aged man immediately shook his head.

"I'd ask you to record it and save a bazillion pictures of it. Ah, but don't tell this to anyone! My wife is really strict when it comes to porns..."

 _...Hoh, so he's a kindred spirit._

"No wonder you can find this place." The man grinned. "You've got a rebellious streak there. Does it run in your blood?"

"I am honored with the praise." The visitor bowed his head slightly. "But anyway, there are new movements."

 _...Movements...?_ The man placed his mug on the counter and narrowed his eyes.

"Did 'they' realize it?" He shook his head in denial. "No, that can't be. The current Hero System is fueled with divinity and energy of the leylines. Not even Vertexes can adapt and counteract power as enormous as that."

If so, the only possibility left was one.

"...So 'they' realized the Sekiryuutei's role even though his fate is hidden by the Shinju."

 _This is bad_ , the loser's thought deepened. _The Walls and Jukai are impenetrable without specific elements to bypass. That group of the Brigade cleared it out by having the demigod-lite, but this is..._

"Either a traitor is in our ranks, or 'they' realized this is getting nowhere..." A sigh escaped the regular's mouth. "If 'they' stopped playing around, then Shinju would be unable to withstand their all-out attack for the second time. I've already said this before to those old chumps and you've probably already read my report, right?"

Hyoudou nodded without saying anything, but it was more than enough for a bridge of understanding to connect their minds.

 _But this also means…_

"You need my group's help that badly, huh?" The man of taste tilted his head. "Why? There's the Youkai, and there's the Devil though the latter is busy arranging a new supervisor in your hometown."

"Well..." The father of the current Sekiryuutei learned and straightened his back. "Cutting to the chase, I'd say the time is perfect but I don't want to be a schemer. I've got enough voice inputs and the heads of Nogi and Uesato don't mind what I intend to do."

"...So those two families have realized that there's nothing crueler than lying to children." The man snorted. "It took three- _damned_ -centuries for them to learn something so simple, huh. I think I'm going to drink something especially strong tonight."

"Please don't get overboard... Aren't you the leader of your Faction?"

"I'm just a simple researcher with too much time to spare." He shrugged. "Don't compare me with my comrades; they're a lot more hardworking and devoted to their duty unlike me."

And it was the truth. Everyone had lost something at some points in their lives, but he had remained the same, if not a little different.

He had joined in a big war to fight against his former comrades, nemesis, and Creator. He had invented many weapons and breakthroughs, but at the end of it his Faction had barely got out from the battle by a hair's breadth. Even if he or his warmonger of a friend were to face another battle, they were already too weary and tired to even raise a battle cry.

"So, what's your objective?" The man pressed his right elbow on the counter and rested his chin on his right palm. "What do you want to gain from bargaining a deal with a defeated and weakened Faction like mine?"

While he waited for an answer, the man named Hyoudou Ichiro took a deep breath in. He looked like he had been thinking about it for a long time. He straightened his back, squared his shoulders, sharpened his gaze, and expressed his intention with the gleaming light within his eyes.

"…Once," Hyoudou Ichiro said. "I want to be a good adult… I want to be a father my son could be proud of. Even if it's only once."

"…Haha." the leader of the fallen Faction smiled. "As I thought, that audacity must be something that runs in your blood, Hyoudou."

 _And it looks like I'm going to meet my student again,_ he thought with unbearable anticipation resembling a second wind inside of him. _I wonder if Vali will get along with that boy._


	50. Chapter 42 - Those Who Know Grief

Yuuna woke up with her right sleeve right above her eyes that morning.

Still wearing her pajamas and still lying in the comfort of her bed, the girl realized that her day didn't start like usual. She didn't see the smiling face of her neighbor, and she didn't receive a phone call from her classmate.

Memories surged forth and Yuuna's right eye twitched.

"…Was it just a dream?" The girl asked.

 _…No,_ some parts of her thought. _It wasn't a dream. What we heard, what we learned, and what we came to understand…_

Yuuna breathed out. "…It wasn't a dream."

As she stretched her right hand toward the ceiling, she realized that a stream of sunlight had infiltrated through the gap between the curtains. Her room was quite spartan except for the desk that was covered with school notes and bags of snacks Gyuuki tended to devour whenever it was asked to guard the fort.

However, the stream of light seemed to lack focus and blurred in Yuuna's sight.

"…This…"

What was she supposed to say about this? After all that had happened yesterday, she had become self-conscious and it disrupted her daily life somewhat. When she ate dinner, when she took a bath, when she heard the news on the television…

"…My senses really have dulled…"

It might be correct to describe it that way. Even so, Yuuna had a feeling that her situation was growing worse as time goes by. She had once thought it was just summer fatigue, but could that affect _all_ of her senses at once?

…Of course not, at least not when she had stumbled upon the cruel truth.

"Yuuna!" Suddenly a voice came from the direction the door of her room was at. "It's morning already, you sleepyhead! Breakfast is ready! Don't you have club activity today?"

Literally flying out of her bed, Yuuna frantically answered her mother. She was about to run around the room with her mind shifting from breakfast to wardrobe change, but due to her dulled senses, she forgot she was already moving her body…

"Uwah!?"

The impulsive daughter of the Yuuki household tripped and hit the bookshelves with her head.

* * *

"Silly girl," a woman with rust red hair sighed as she rubbed Yuuna's hurting head. "I know that you're not a morning person but you should at least calm down and assess the situation before you make a plan or even before taking an action."

Yuuna could only avert her gaze as she blushed in shame. She had changed into her school uniform and she had washed her face, but the slight bump on her head displayed her clumsiness in the open. _This is so embarrassing…!_

A rambunctious laughter came from the dining table. Yuuna pouted at the sight of her grinning father.

"It's fine, right?" Yuuki Hiroaki tilted his head as he rubbed his square chin. "It wouldn't be our daughter if she doesn't live her life to the fullest, Akane."

Yuuki Akane huffed and placed both of her hands on her waist. Even though the wife and mother of the Yuuki family was almost reaching her mid-thirties, she looked like a young woman who was still studying in college.

Meanwhile, the head of the family looked like he came straight out of an action game. Yuuna reminded herself that her father was last year's winner of the National Freestyle Martial Arts Tournament but after she interacted with her friends' parents…

 _…Otou-san feels like someone who would go to the mountain and fight bears if it could help him exert some sweat…_

He even had a bear-like appearance with the grizzly face and figure, so the girl secretly wondered if her ancestors had something to do with bears. _Did grandpa look the same in his younger days as well?_

"Hm? What's wrong, Yuuna? Why the long face?" Her father suddenly asked.

"Eh?! Ah… Well," Yuuna stuttered and scratched her cheek. "O-Oh, yeah! Now that I think about it, why aren't you in the dojo this morning, dad?"

The middle-aged man who was her parent closed his deep brown eyes, folded his sleeved arms and nodded twice.

"Well, the Hyoudou called in just now," replied her father. "Apparently, their son couldn't attend morning exercise today so I got left with nothing to do after practicing by myself."

"I-Is that so…?"

Although her heart skipped a beat due to the sudden mention of her friend's surname, Yuuna felt a little disappointed that she would not see the overly-earnest boy she idolized. Not only had he joined in for morning exercises, he sometimes participated in breakfast together with her and Tougou.

"Oh my, that's rare," said her mother as she looked at her father. "That child has been visiting almost on a daily basis now. I wonder if something happened to him…"

"Ah, his parents said he overslept so I don't think there's something to worry about. Besides…" Her father formed a grin on his face. "He has a promising future."

For some reason, Yuuna's parents laughed merrily and it made the girl feel embarrassed. However, as she saw the ticking analog clock hanging on the wall, the girl rushed to the dining table for breakfast.

Still, as she started eating, Yuuna became aware of her dulled senses again and her mood sank. It made her lose some appetites and she didn't like that; she didn't want to let her mother's cooking be wasted…

In the end, Yuuna forced down all of her discomfort and steeled herself to wipe clean her dishes.

"Now now," her mother said. "I can tell you are hungry but eating so fast will only spell troubles, Yuuna."

The daughter paused herself from eating and showed a sheepish look. _Uuu, I can't help it, mom…_

"Hmmm…" Then, her father hummed as if thinking about something. "Yuuna, do you have something you want to talk about?"

"…Eh?"

What was that? No, it came out wrong. Yuuna heard her father clearly. He was asking if she had a problem and wished to know if she wanted to speak about it with her family.

"Umm…" Yuuna lowered her chopsticks and looked up to her father in the eyes. "…Actually…"

Silence stretched and her parents grew a concerned look. Yuuna's heart raced as she tried to decide what she would do. Was it okay to tell her parents the truth? Would it be alright to worry them when she didn't even know what could happen afterward?

…Was it fine to lie to her parents if it could help her and her friends?

"…Errm, dad… Mom," Yuuna called out as she slowly raised her head. "Can I ask for some advice?"

At the two adults' puzzled looks, the girl continued on. She lightly inhaled, held her breath in her throat and used it to convey words out.

"Yesterday," Yuuna paused, nodded her head and reaffirmed her resolve. "Yesterday, I met and befriended a girl."

She was a weak girl.

That girl was a Hero, but her body could no longer work properly and she had lost her privilege to live as an ordinary person. She had fought, suffered, and sacrificed parts of herself to protect the world. At the end of it, she could do nothing but watch from her bed like a caged bird.

"We exchanged stories. A lot of stories." Yuuna inhaled. "Then there was a story... it was a story about Heroes."

Yuuna wanted to be a hero.

She never thought much of it, but one of the few reasons why she wanted to be a hero was because it seemed cool, and that a hero was a helpful person who could bring a smile to everyone's faces.

 _That's the kind of hero I want to be,_ the girl thought. _I want to be a hero that can make everyone around me the happiest in the world._

"The Heroes in the girl's story are…" Yuuna swallowed her saliva as she thought of the appropriate words to convey. "They live their lives to the fullest, going through their days with the utmost energy and efforts."

On the other hand, those Heroes fought in a secret war to protect the world.

"I think it's a noble thing for the Heroes to fight even though everyone doesn't know that," admitted the red-haired girl. "Even though nobody will ever know what they've done. Even though no one will ever express their gratitude to the Heroes, it's still a wonderful thing."

 _However,_ she thought.

"The Heroes' tale ended in tragedy." Yuuna slowly looked down on the table. "Even though the world is saved, a new threat appeared, and… And the Heroes had to make a great sacrifice to protect everyone's daily lives."

One day, two of the Heroes met a mysterious person.

They did not know that the mysterious person was their predecessor. They did not know about her pain, her sufferings, or even her helplessness. The new Heroes realized that a secret was kept from them and that ultimately caused them to stumble upon the cruel truth.

"The previous generation Hero said this." Yuuna took a deep breath in and endured the bursting emotions inside her chest. "'In any age, a sacrifice to appease the wrath of the Gods have always existed.'"

The sacrifice possessed immense power, and that power attracted the attention of the Gods. That power often mesmerized them, calmed them down and thus allowed for the storms they brought to vanish the moment they acquired the sacrifice.

As long as the Gods were given their offerings, there will be hope for the land and the people will continue to survive.

"…Tougou-san and I…" Yuuna raised and then lowered her shoulders. "…We, couldn't come to terms with that story…"

 _I'm really bad at this,_ she thought.

She was never fond of lying. She didn't like how she used such an underhanded method to gain some help, and she did this to her own parents. _What on earth am I doing…?_

She must have sounded like she was rambling. She was sure her mother would wonder aloud if she had watched too many Tokusatsu shows and her father would definitely drag her out for a sparring match to blow off some steam.

However, that wasn't the case this time.

"…I see," her father said. "So you cannot accept that not everyone is allowed to live happily."

Yuuna reflexively looked up.

She met her father's gaze. It was a gentle gaze and his tight cheeks were somewhat loosened to form a soft and understanding smile. The same went for her mother and Yuuna felt something welling up from the depth of her heart.

"Yuuna," her mother called out. "Did you cry when you hear that story?"

The subject of the question stuttered as expected.

Of course she would. Yuuna didn't expect her mother to read her through, as she had indeed cry and lost sight of what she had once believed in. _But what's that got to do with—_

"Do you know why you cried?"

Upon hearing the follow-up question, Yuuna stilled.

 _Why did I cry…?_ The girl did not understand the question directed to her at first. She was too caught up by the strangeness of it to notice her father suppressing an obvious laughter.

"Ah, sorry there," apologized her father as he waved despite noticing his daughter's inattentiveness. "It's quite a thing to watch my carefree daughter to be troubled like this."

Now that? The words of her father irritated Yuuna a little.

"But I was being serious…!" The girl pouted.

"Yes, and it is funny…" Her father paused and pointed to the side. "By the way, your phone has been ringing for a while, now."

 _Eh?_ Yuuna glanced to see a white smartphone laid on the table close to her dishes. She realized who the caller was and her heart raced for a completely different reason unlike when she heard of her friend's name.

Her gaze was drawn to the digital clock and her face turned as pale as the skin of a drowned corpse.

"I-I'm late…!?"

Yuuna immediately stood off her chair and moved toward the front door. However, she stopped once she realized she had yet to take her phone along but then she also realized that her schoolbag was also still at her room.

Though it didn't need to be said any more, Yuuki Yuuna was a natural busybody, and after she calmed down and retrieved all that she needed…

"Yuuna."

The girl turned her head to see the faces of her parents. She responded with a short 'Yes?' and she noticed there seemed to be a slight change in the air around them. _But why is that—_

"Go ask for some help," her father suddenly said. "If you don't think you can endure this by yourself, then ask your friends to support you, especially that Hyoudou-boy if you feel like you can't do anything right at all."

 _…Ise-senpai…?_

"Umm… Okay…? But, why him…?"

The man who was her father grinned and Yuuna realized that she had fallen into a trap. He muttered something about 'Of course it's because…' but Yuuna immediately cut him off with a frantic yell.

She slipped on her shoes, slammed open the front door, told her parents she was leaving and the daughter of the Yuuki household went off with a face as red as ripe winter cherry.

* * *

School that day was relatively normal.

Yuuna met up with Tougou, went to school and though she conversed with her a little one-sidedly this time around, the wheelchair-bound girl did not mind it. Yuuna was glad that she could bring some life into her friend's smile during these trying times.

 _I'm not sure if I've done the right thing,_ Yuuna thought, _but I think I should be happy about it._

In that case, she mustn't feel down and she had to do her job as a hero. Today she was going to school because of club activity. Even if it wasn't a school day, the Hero Club worked during holidays like a charity organization. _Yes, I should act like usual—_

"Yuuna-chan."

The redhead replied to her best friend with a curious hum. As she pushed the wheelchair toward the Domestic Science Preparation Room, she tilted her head to the side while leaning forward to see the expression of her friend..

"What do you think of telling everyone what Nogi-san told us?"

"…That…" Yuuna trailed off, not knowing what to say. "…I, I think we can't rush it."

The question 'why' popped out in Yuuna's mind and Tougou asked her the same question.

 _Why is that?_ Yuuna questioned herself and pondered. _Is it because it might hurt everyone…?_

…No, that wasn't it. Lying was bad and hiding secrets from friends was absolutely not her style. In her dictionary, to avoid the truth was the same as running away from the issue, and a hero would never back down from any challenge.

So, why was she hesitating?

"…I think, we should tell Fuu-senpai first," Yuuna replied. "We don't even know if what we're told is the truth, so…"

"…I see. Yes, I suppose that's true enough."

For some reasons, Yuuna had mixed feelings with Tougou's response.

That was why after she asked herself 'Why?' for the umpteenth time, no one could answer that; it met her expectation of her current self. _I really should talk to someone about this…_

However, she couldn't think of someone who could share her burdens.

Yuuna didn't want her friends to be troubled more than this. What about Fuu? What about Itsuki? What about Karin?

 _What will he think if he knows the truth…?_

"Oh?"

Hearing her friend's voice, Yuuna looked up and saw a person exiting the club room. She had long curly blond hair tied into low-angled twintails, and a black eyepatch decorated with a small pink flower sticker covered her left eye.

As Yuuna thought of what she and Tougou was going to do, the senior turned around and met their gazes. Fuu formed a smile but Yuuna noticed there was a lack of energy in that expression.

"…Uh? Fuu-senpai?" Yuuna waved. "Is something wrong?"

"Well…" The leader of Hero Club drawled for a bit before she shrugged. "I got a phone call from Issei's family."

 _…Hm?_

"Is senpai not attending club activity today…?"

At Yuuna's question, both Fuu and Tougou turned their gazes toward her. The girl wasn't prepared for that so her shoulders jolted a little and reflexively averted her eyes.

"Yuuna, I'm surprised you know that," Fuu commented. "Oh, wait. He trains at your family's dojo almost every day now that summer break is here. Did he give you a phone call too?"

The resident redhead nodded. "But senpai's parents said he overslept."

"…That's weird. His mother called in and said he caught summer fever."

 _But the past few days aren't particularly hot enough to create an extreme difference in room temperatures…_

As silence stretched, everyone in earshot must have realized the strangeness of the situation. For Yuuna, it was even more so as Issei had never been a person to make any excuses. Probably, Tougou had the same thought as well, and the two friends immediately exchanged looks.

"…Yuuna? Tougou?" Fuu placed a hand on her waist. "…Am I missing something here?"

Yuuna honestly hoped her senior did not, but…

"Actually…" As if she had read her mind and decided to take the initiative, Tougou raised her right hand with a neutral expression on her face. "Fuu-senpai, can we talk to you somewhere private?"


	51. Chapter 43 - Those who Know Grief II

There was something wrong.

Fuu knew that something was off. After the battle yesterday, Yuuna, Tougou and Issei had vanished and it caused quite an uproar. When the remaining members of the Hero Club were about to search for them, a message from Taisha was delivered and told them that the three were safe and would return after their business was done.

 _The sender was the Miko,_ Fuu recalled. _She's the most important person in Taisha after the Heroes, and her presence can even be compared with the Nogi and Uesato families who are the highest-ranked houses in Taisha's hierarchy._

The girl had something to say with the timing, but she chose to swallow her anxiety down and instead replied with a confirmation followed by a question.

 _Why did the Vertex attack again?_

The response came after waiting for fifteen minutes. Back there, Fuu had some suspicions but the explanation of the Miko convinced her enough that she had decided to let it slide, because...

 _'I hope to see you soon, for there is something I wish to tell you and the Heroes.'_

"...This is seriously a strange turn of events..."

Fuu didn't want to let her friends and family involved more than this. It was her fault for not telling them on the first place and it was also her fault that they had to fight again. Even with the bonus upgrades from Mankai that came in the form of additional Fairy and weapon, there was always a limit to one's endurance and fatigue.

 _And then… this._

This morning, her junior's parent called in that her son was sick. Fuu's heart pounded as she recalled the strange chills that had appeared when three of her club members suddenly vanished, but she thought that there were always days like these so she told herself that there was nothing to be worried about.

 _He's fine,_ Fuu thought, even as the image of Issei stumbling after he dropped down from the sky resurfaced in her head. _He's fine, he must be exhausted after yesterday's battle; that's all._

However, Yuuna and Tougou appeared wearing grim expressions that didn't suit them at all when she met them at school.

"…Fuu-senpai…?"

Snapping out from her thoughts, Fuu muttered a sound and looked back at her juniors.

They were in the third floor's hallway. Fuu was on the lead while Yuuna was walking behind her while pushing Tougou's wheelchair. The two had followed after Fuu after she suggested the rooftop as a private place to talk, and now all they needed to do was climbing the last staircase.

Fuu would have made a joke about 'last spurt' or something but she was not in the mood for that.

"Well…" Fuu looked ahead again. "So, how important is this talk about? Can't we just wait for Karin and Itsuki first?"

Her snappy junior and her cute little sister were currently clearing out requests. They also had something to do like group study with their classmates afterward so there was no way to call them back at the moment.

While thinking that, Fuu waited for an answer but since there was no clear response, she turned around after climbing the stairs halfway through. At the bottom of the staircase, Yuuna was moving her right hand and a platform device peeled itself from the wall after she touched a green button on a control panel installed there.

It was an installation meant to help people with disability like Tougou. When the platform was set in place, Yuuna rolled Tougou's wheelchair onto it, then locked the wheels in place. After the black-haired girl gave her approval, Yuuna operated the control panel again so that the platform began to carry Tougou through the flight of stairs.

"That is…" Tougou trailed off. "…It's related with Yuuna-chan, Itsuki-chan, and you, Fuu-senpai."

The disabled girl added a 'but' instead of leaving her sentence finished.

"It also applies to all of us, and it may affect our future."

As Fuu climbed ahead so that she wouldn't obstruct the moving platform, the blonde nodded with her long hair swaying behind her.

"You can't explain it in details?"

"…No. Unfortunately, we can't..." Tougou shook her head. "At least not until we reached the rooftop."

 _...Is that how it is…?_

Whatever it was her juniors wanted to talk about, Fuu hoped it wasn't something serious.

"…Ah, speaking of which," Fuu paused. "You two look like you know something about Issei. What was that exchange of looks for?"

"Huh!?"

 _What's with that 'Huh!?' huh…?_ Fuu wanted to rub his forehead with that reaction. She didn't expect her two juniors to try to keep up an appearance even though their covers were already blown up skyhigh. _This is starting to get on me too…_

"W-Well, umm…." Yuuna's voice trailed away. "It's just, you see…. We're kind of… curious why he isn't attending club activity today."

"Ah… Yeah, that's a good reason to be curious about." Fuu shrugged and unlocked the door leading to the rooftop. "But there's always days like this. Besides, Issei can take care of himself just fine."

She was partially glad that Issei was upfront. Sure, he was a pervert and he tried to ogle a view or two secretly, but at least he easily fessed up and accepted punishment whenever he was caught red-handed.

 _Still, maybe I shouldn't have asked about him in this kind of situation, too…_

It felt rude because he wasn't around.

Issei was already a close friend and a reliable underling to Fuu. He was also close to Yuuna and Tougou because the three of them lived really close to each other that nobody batted an eyelid despite the three of them coming to school side-by-side. Suddenly speaking about the boy when he wasn't around seemed like a recipe for disaster...

"B-By the way, Fuu-senpai…"

Fuu turned around when she realized there was no continuation to Yuuna's words.

She had already entered the rooftop. The winds were particularly strong today, and the clouds were gathering up to render the sunlight obsolete. Even though it was nearing midsummer, Fuu couldn't believe how cloudy and cold today was, and she hoped it wouldn't rain at least until evening.

 _The laundry won't dry by itself…_ The elder Inubouzaki sibling exasperated. _Why am I fussing about so many things like this?_

"Yeah?" Fuu asked as her two juniors approached her. "What is it, Yuuna?"

"Well… This is, um, I'm just wondering…" Yuuna fidgeted. "...What do you think of Ise-senpai?"

"…Now that's quite a sudden question."

Fuu could see Tougou's bitter smile even if it was from miles away now. She must have realized that Yuuna was trying too hard at this point, but someone like Tougou wouldn't want to ruin the moment by saying insensitive things. Karin was busy, and Itsuki was not here to give her trademark witty remarks.

 _Looks like it's all up to me now…_

"If I were to evaluate my junior as a club leader…" Fuu folded her arms under bosom. "I'd give him points for being an earnest person. Double them because he's diligent even though he has no talent at all in pretty much anything, and cut it in halves because of his bad habits and perversion."

Of course, Fuu had already taken count of whatever thing Issei had done while finishing the requests given to him. Karin often helped with her detailed report and though she sucked badly at drawing imagery, she still could be a good judge for a character.

Fuu wondered if it was alright to divulge what she had come to know in regards to Issei but it seemed the boy was good at playing with children and making simple handicrafts.

 _…Maybe that's because they're on the same wavelength._

That would mean Issei's mentality was that of a child but that wording might be a bit too much if he ever caught a wind of it.

"T-Then…" Yuuna inhaled. "As an upperclassman?"

"He's nothing but troubles."

"Immediate answer!? Eh…!?"

 _I can't help it,_ Fuu thought. _He always got roped into troubles be it in daily life or even in the battlefield._

They all happened because Issei was in the wrong place at the wrong time, but Fuu couldn't deny that the many decisions he had made created further chaos into the fray. _Even the latest battle ended up in narrow victory…_

"But well, he's Issei so I don't mind being relied upon by him."

The girl decided that she would not tell everyone the time when she poured her heart out in front of Issei. There was no need to stir the pot more than this.

"As for being a person…" Fuu groaned as he rotated his head to the left and right side several times. "I'd say that I'm fond of him to the point of thinking him as…"

"A-As…?!"

"…As a younger brother, of course."

Yuuna almost fell over to her knees. Even Tougou swayed in her wheelchair but Fuu couldn't help wanting to ask why did they have to be so theatric about trivial things that must be drawn clearly at the very beginning. Being unreasonably demanding and exaggerating was Fuu's forte; not anyone else's!

Also, if this question was what it was supposed to be, then Fuu had something to say to her simple-minded juniors.

"I'll be honest here," Fuu sighed. "I like Issei, yeah. But I can't afford to fall in love and I have Itsuki to take care of. You already know the drill by now, Yuuna."

"E-Err… Yeah, Fuu-senpai _did_ tell us that when we went to the beach resort."

Right? Back there, Issei was knocked out cold so he didn't know anything, but the girls had huddled together in their room to discuss about many things including love story. Back there, Fuu's answer was the same as what she told Issei.

"I don't really have much interests in romance because I have something more important to do. If I can, I'd like to wait until Itsuki can live independently with a good partner-in-marriage. That's why I can't fool around."

"B-But… What if there's a small chance he likes—"

"Alright, let's stop this now." Fuu interrupted Yuuna by clasping her hands together. "I'm sure we're not here to talk about our love life. We also need to hurry since it looks like it will rain. The thing about Issei and romance will be dismissed until later dates!"

 _Plus,_ Fuu thought. _If there's someone he really likes, there are two girls way better than me here._

Fuu wondered what that boy was doing.

She hoped he could actually give a clear answer instead of leading everyone around by saying whatever crossed his mind. He was a sincere boy, and he was definitely a good person at heart but he was still immature both as a person and as a man.

Issei still had a long way to go, especially considering how he couldn't be trusted when it was all about taking care of himself.

 _...I better buy some fruit after today's club activity is over,_ Fuu thought as she nodded to reaffirm her decision. _I really hope he's not forcing himself again..._

As a cold wind blew past the rooftop, Fuu closed an eye reflexively when she saw dirt kicking up. She made a small sound and she heard her juniors reacting similarly, but as she brushed aside the strands of hair drifting toward her nose, her ears picked up a distinct sound; Fuu looked up to the dull grey sky in wonderment.

"...Issei...?"

* * *

Green leaves fell from their branches and scattered into the cloudy sky.

Exiting the cliffs-surrounded lake and entering a thick forest, Heracles looked to the side. He saw a green light flashing through the darkness. It plowed through trees, carved out the land and approached him like lightning.

Heracles reached out using his strengthened right arm.

Excessive amount of life force coated his entire body and heightened all of his physical strength to the extreme limits. His thoughts then accelerated to the point of allowing him to perceive reality in a slower motion.

"Hmph!" With a grunt, the man grabbed his foe's neck and threw him away.

The attacker crashed into an old tree and smashed through it. Pieces of wood scattered along with dust and dirt while the solid sounds of destruction resounded throughout the quiet forest.

"Is that all you have?" The moment he asked coincide with the moment his enemy piercing through the curtains of dirt. "…So you can still fight."

The figure of the attacker was a small dragon.

He had red scales for skins, horns protruded out from both sides of his head, and his left arm wore a red gauntlet decorated with razor-sharp claws as well as two green gems. The dragon's eyes burned red with the intention to do harm unto his opponent, all without logic or even a reason.

It was the eyes of a rampaging beast.

Heracles stepped aside to dodge a right hook. He retreated while swaying to the left and right, avoiding all of the attacks aimed to incapacitate him if not outright kill him.

After a series of misses, his foe exposed an opening so Heracles lowered his hips, pumped magical energy and life force down to his feet and leaped forward.

"Ghak…!?"

A solid sound of impact rang.

Heracles punched the humanoid dragon's gut and further twisted his right fist in. He heard bones breaking, organs and flesh snapping and yet he did not end his attack with just one hit.

"Blow away – Variant Detonation."

A glow appeared from the tip of his right fist and the scenery in front of him vanished in a burst of light.

It was like watching a dozen dynamites explode. The air burst in flames and shockwave, the trees were rooted out and the vegetation turned to ashes within the all-consuming red hazes.

The extreme difference of temperature further caused a windstorm to enter through the battlefield while a mist seeped into existence around him.

 _As if this much will kill him._

Proving his assumption right, his foe revealed himself by breaking through the flames and smokes. He covered his front with crossed arms – probably so as to not inhale any embers – and he roared out as red armors encased his upper body and his right arm.

 _So that goddamn tree released more of his powers,_ Heracles thought with a scowl. _As always, Gods are massive pains in the ass._

However—

"Do you think the same trick can work twice!?"

Heracles stepped forward, bent his left arm and executed a flawless uppercut into the dragon's torso.

The armors shattered upon impact. The flesh was struck in the next instance and the miniature Heavenly Dragon flew to the sky with a long red arc trailing behind him.

He did not hear any pained grunt.

He did not hear the dragon's cry.

He realized the boy known as Hyoudou Issei still desired for a victorious outcome.

"In that case…!" Heracles pulled back his left arm and extended his right arm to the sky. "Comet Detonation!"

His entire body flashed with a bright light. Sharp protrusions emerged from around his limbs, his chest, and then his back.

With many roars the objects attached to his body flew into the sky. They all smashed through the winds, surrounded the floating dragon and devoured him in a powerful burst of explosion.

The resulting violent winds crushed some trees and once again shook the quiet forest. Once the sounds died down, Heracles saw a black figure falling down while covered in smokes ahead of him.

"You sure are tenacious." Heracles paced forward. "Forcing me to use my Sacred Gear, Variant Detonation… Even drawing out what I learned while fighting against Echidna's minions."

Though saying that, it didn't seem like the boy covered in soot and dirt could hear him. He looked down at the boy as he struggled to move despite his wounds, and met a pair of hateful eyes directed at him.

It was a look he wasn't unfamiliar with, so Heracles swung his leg and kicked the boy away.

The weakened and wounded boy crashed against a tree. He slid down to the ground, completely helpless and out of strength. He voiced out incoherent sounds that signified the suffering he was put through.

Even so, the boy clawed the tree behind him and stood up.

That act of resistance further infuriated the Champion.

"Enough with the nonsense," Heracles spat out. "What can you do? What have you done other than charging ahead without thinking? What can you even do now that you know the ugly truth?"

Idiot. Imbecile. What a gullible fool.

Heracles knew the face the boy wore. A face that knew hardship yet still refusing to cast away the vain hopes he held in his heart.

It was a dreamer's face.

It was the expression of a true idealist.

"You can't fix a system all by yourself," the Champion said even as the dragon regained his footing and approached him. "You can't change the world without knowing anything. But even after knowing everything, that doesn't mean you have the power or even the authority to twist reality as you see fits."

The world wasn't so kind that it could be altered without any problem cropping up.

Heracles understood that more than anyone. He knew and acknowledged that above everyone else. He who had betrayed his homeland, his family and his friends understood the weight of his crimes and yet decided to soldier on.

 _But,_ he thought. _This brat doesn't stop walking forward._

The proof of that was how he was still fighting. Heracles had battled the brat for 24-hours nonstop now and yet the wielder of Boosted Gear continued to stand up against an insurmountable obstacle. _Just by being empowered by the leylines, he can fight indefinitely, huh._

"...There's no miracle in a world that has long already ended." The man prepared a fighting stance once again. "That's why there's no worth in protecting it. I told you before. All the things you did with those brats are just a pile of childish delusions."

" _…so what!?_ "

The boy re-summoned his scale mail and flew with his boosters firing out swirling red flames.

He headed toward Heracles from the front. He didn't change his tactic and raised his bleeding right arm; a prime example of blitzkrieg without much to say.

In response to it, Heracles stepped back as he parried the attack. Air detonated outwardly, and he blocked the follow-up attacks meant to cripple him.

Amidst the exchanged blows, a yell was heard.

"I know that I'm useless!"

The boy's right fist pierced through the Champion's defense and struck his solar plexus. The man staggered while the Heavenly Dragon used this chance to launch more attacks.

"I _know_ that I can't do anything right even though I put my all into it!"

A right punch smashed into his face and blood sprayed out.

"Even so…!"

A straight hook embedded deep into his gut and popped an organ.

"Even so, I won't give up…! I _can't_ give up…!"

A flurry of blows hammered in, breaking through the shield of life force and magical energy with sheer brute force.

"…Hrrnghk!"

A glint flashed inside Heracles's eyes and he counterattacked. His gigantic fist impacted the dragon's side and blasted him through a dozen trees.

The man leaped in pursuit and passed through the rolling beast. He skidded into a halt, clawed the grounds with his feet and smashed his opponent from the back.

Once again, a sickening sound of shattering bones was heard.

However, Heracles didn't stop at that. His left hand quickly snaked forward and grabbed the dragon's left arm. He lifted the body to the sky and with a yell smashed it into the ground like a whip.

From the sensation, he knew he had both dislocated and broke the arm.

Heracles's right kneecap shot up and struck his opponent in the chest. The red dragon's armors caved in and scattered blood-soaked pieces of iron.

Warm red liquid spilled from the mouth of the beast. Its body floated before it landed with a harsh crash, and it bounced off the grounds before it rolled and came to a halt.

Heracles's shoulders shook as he readjusted his breathing.

He was high on adrenaline and his empowered body made it difficult to not be aware of the details around him. He had to admit there was some fun in hunting a dragon even if it was a fake one, but...

 _...Any power without a clear direction is just brute force._

Heracles raised his right hand to his chest-level as he looked down upon his disciple. "A power so unreliable that nobody is left unscathed… Is that what you define as the strength to protect your world?"

 _...Of course not._

Both he and his disciple knew that wasn't the case. That was why Heracles vocalized his thoughts out and accused the boy. That was why the boy could not respond to his questions.

Even so, the boy stood back up and faced him once again.

"…That's your answer, huh," the man said as he narrowed his eyes. "Fine, then."

He walked forward. He approached the boy and entered his range, then he swung his right fist toward him.

The blow did not connect. The boy stepped aside and dodged. He immediately counterattacked with a straight right to the torso.

 _It's useless,_ Heracles thought as he activated his Sacred Gear. _As long as there's a point of contact, there's no place I cannot destroy with explosions._

When he thought his victory was assured, the counterattack suddenly stopped merely an inch away from touching the place Heracles's heart resided in.

Heracles's eyes widened as the boy gritted his teeth and opened his hand, revealing a tiny green sphere of light in his fist. Before anyone could speak out their thoughts—

A flash of green illuminated the darkness and created an extending line of destruction.

Within the bursting light, the gouged earth and the scattered leaves and soil – there was absolute silence. The roar of destruction only came after the line of light flickered and it became significant once the beam faded away.

It was only after a minute had gone by that the sound of nature returned to the world, but...

In front of the exhausted and wounded dragon, a figure stood like an indomitable wall.

"...How…" The boy looked up as white mist leaked from the corners of the man's mouth.

Heracles's skin and clothes were badly burned, but there was no heavy damage on his body. The ground he stood on had melted somewhat, and the area far behind him had been reduced into a fine wasteland.

Even still, the Champion survived and he attacked.

"Gh…!?"

Hyoudou Issei's right arm broke when he tried to defend himself. The arm was then batted away, leaving the rest of his body exposed to a powerful punch that lodged deep into his gut.

" _Ghak…!?_ "

Blood spewed out from his mouth. The boy staggered back as his body bent forward, and his armors crumbled without being able to regenerate themselves. His feet left the ground and in the span of that instance, another blow smashed into the left side of his chest.

Then a chain of blows arrived.

The forest was filled with crunching and smashing sounds. The earth rumbled, the air shook and the trees trembled as if frightened. The remaining lights of the sun showed moving shadows that depicted violence like no other, and crimson liquids sprayed and tainted the green floors of the forest.

After a while, the noise finally stopped.

When the knuckle in the boy's body was pulled back, Issei fell to his knees and struck the ground with his face.

"You really don't know when to give up, do you?"

The mist filling the forest grew denser.

At the same time, the heated air around the battlefield seemed to call out to the sky. Rain soon fell together with the sounds of crackling thunder, and the crimson painting the grass red was soon washed away by the raindrops.

"You couldn't accept this sort of outcome so you lashed out without thinking. You're a perfect host for a Heavenly Dragon that brought an end to the Old Era."

The drops of water lowered the air's temperature. They also cooled down the melting rocks and put out the flames that had turned the plants into ashes.

All the while the blood on the unmoving figure of the defeated beast was washed away by the tears of the heavens.

"But you know what?" Heracles looked to the side and saw some wet plants drenched by the rain. "If you can't even acknowledge the truth before your eyes, then there's no point in dreaming."

A single flower could be seen hanging down as the rain droplets fell upon it.

It had a trumpet shape with deep blue color and tints of white and yellow. When it hung down, it looked like a bell but it didn't give any sound as the rain continued to weigh the flower down.

"This is the world." Heracles looked back to his foolish disciple. "This is the place that forbids any lies from flourishing. This is the stage I and many before you have arrived at after all of our desperate struggles."

With his arms spread to the side, the divine-blooded Champion looked as if he was presenting the enormously wide sky to the fallen dragon.

"Accept it," the man commanded as he lowered his arms. "Accept your powerlessness. Acknowledge that you couldn't protect anything at the very end of your journey. Relish that despair and burn this scene into your soul."

Then…

"Only then will you be allowed to cry out your sorrow."

The rain fell harder than ever.

The sounds that remained were the teardrops from the heavens. As he felt his clothes weighing him down, he breathed out a white mist and his sight blurred.

Soon, another sound resounded from within the forest covered by mist.

It was a deafening roar.

It was a heartfelt emotion conveyed through an action.

It was the sorrow of the dragon.

"…That's right. That's the proper way for you to face the present."

A beast that did nothing except howling in anger had become a human weighed down by reasons and emotions. Some might said it was a phase of growth, but Heracles thought what he had in mind was better.

 _After all, this is the best way to communicate for those who are both man and beast._

"Cry out all you want. Pour out your heart and carve your voice in this worthless world."

In front of the man, the boy's hoarse voice reached the land, the sea, and the sky above. He cried and wept as dirt and mud plastered his face and wounded body.

He gave all of his heart, even if it was for the sake of grieving.

"...Endure it all. Your grief, regret, and even your sins..." Heracles turned his back on his disciple. "That's the only thing you can do as someone who confronted the truth."

He walked away and settled down beneath a particularly tall tree with thick foliages that could shield him from the rain. The grasses were wet, the roots of the tree were ridden with mud, dirt and green moss and the trunk felt like it was breathing out humid air.

Heracles didn't mind the weather; Athens was always ravaged by storms and he had fought in harsher battlefields. This much of a drizzle was nothing to him.

 _Still,_ he thought. _I've become too soft._

The boy was allowed to cry because he was weak.

The boy was given a chance to do so because he had acknowledged his despair and suffering instead of running away from his responsibility.

The boy would get back up and he would grow even stronger if he could overcome his trials.

"…What a lucky bastard…"

Nobody knew how much time had passed.

Even so, it was certain that the hands of time continued to move. The world simply followed after it and continued to change regardless of the feelings held by those who lived under its care.

The man finally caught a stream of light intruding through the deep green foliage.

He looked up to the sky and witnessed an end to the rain. He saw the dark clouds paling as they fled, and he heard the sounds of raindrops growing quiet.

He smelled the scent of wet earth. He felt cold even as the sunlight bathed his drenched body, and he filled his lungs with the crisp air around him.

"…Looks like the next few days will see brighter skies."

If his prediction was right, then that would be nice. If it was wrong, then that was fine as well. _I don't really care, either way._

However, as he stared at the drenched figure of his disciple, a thought crossed his mind.

 _Like this, I can just pull out and return to headquarters with a shiny new trophy._

He could rub his victory in his comrades' faces with that. A Longinus was a powerful addition and something that could double one's power every ten seconds would be an extremely big boon.

 _...But why do I think that's the wrong thing to do?_

The man thought something was wrong with him. He had betrayed his Faction and joined a shady organization no different than a group of extremists. At this point, being sensible would do nothing but to add points for his streaks of infamy. No higher beings would help him and Lady Luck despised people who abandoned their loved ones for an idiotic cause.

 _...Then why am I questioning myself like this?_

Heracles stayed still for a few minutes the moment he gave himself that question.

He pondered about the matter but after a while, he reached a conclusion. The man shook his head, cursed himself for the action he was about to commit and after he let loose a resigned sigh, he got up and approached the boy.

The man extended his arm and grabbed his disciple by the collar.

"Come on," said Heracles as he hung Issei on his shoulder like a strip of towel. "The lake over there has powerful healing properties. You're going to heal yourself there, and then we're going to start again."

What was going to start?

"If that flea-sized brain of yours isn't for decoration, I'm sure you already know." Heracles looked at the entrance to the valleys from before and spotted a stone Torii welcoming him. "You're still alive, and tomorrow will still come, even for this shitty world that already ended. Quitting while being ahead doesn't suit a stupid kid like you."

What suited him best?

What was best for the boy at this moment, and in this sort of situation?

What could Hyoudou Issei even do when he had lost everything he once believed in?

As his mind toyed around those silly questions, Heracles scoffed and answered them right away.

"As long as you have a will, there will be a way," Heracles glanced at the boy and at the path leading him to the lake. "That's what a Hero does best at, Hyoudou Issei."

 _And you will definitely find something at the end of the path,_ the man promised. _After all…_

"Raise your head before you can look forward," the man said. "This descendant of Heracles has decided to help reclaiming what you lost, you half-assed Wannabe Hero."

 _And you better show me some results._

After all, he was definitely going to receive a fate worse than death for committing a second betrayal.


	52. Chapter 44 - Those who Know Grief III

Karin walked down the dimly-lit corridor with a steady pace.

Yesterday had been cloudy with a sprinkle of evening shower, but today the clouds gathered together to form a dense curtain blocking the sunlight. It was a considerably rare occurrence but Shikoku was down to the south of the country, and a typhoon attacked during the summer two years ago.

 _...Who knows if there will be another one._

Karin didn't think much while walking through the first floor's hallway. The school building was relatively empty saves for some classes holding students who were forced to take supplementary lessons, and Karin felt a little thrilled as she did not have the same obligation like those students did.

 _Wait a second,_ the girl realized. _That makes me sound like I have a rebellious spirit burning inside of me._

She wondered if she was behaving like a delinquent, but Karin decided that wasn't it. She was a Hero and no Hero acted like an outlaw. She'd notice if she had taken the wrong path somewhere.

"But what if I cannot judge myself fairly?"

At the thought of having a biased view of oneself, Karin put a hand on her chin and pondered.

She took a dozen steps before she stopped walking. Karin made a sound, lifted her head up, turned around and walked back to the classroom she had just passed by.

"Itsuki?" The brunette called out to the girl doing her very best to clean the blackboard. "…Wait, there's no one around beside her…"

That was strange. The younger Inubouzaki sibling said she was planning to do something with her friends after she finished the request given to her, but she stayed in the classroom instead. Karin glanced at the clock hung above the blackboard and felt something wrong with the scene.

With that, Karin entered the classroom and called out to her junior.

"What are you doing all by yourself here?"

The girl with short blond hair jolted. There was no sound coming from her throat but her indoor shoes squeaked when she abruptly moved and turned around to face Karin.

The petite girl hung her mouth open for several moments. She moved her lips up and down but Karin could not understand what she was doing until she remembered that Itsuki had temporarily lost her voice.

 _What kind of Hero am I if I have to think about something first when I want to understand someone's thoughts?_

Karin sighed and picked up the sketchbook and marker pen on a desk nearby. She walked to the fidgeting Itsuki and handed her the two items.

"Sorry for not paying attention," Karin apologized. "Here you go, Itsuki."

Though her face flushed red, Itsuki accepted the sketchbook and marker pen. The girl immediately opened it and scribbled for several dozen seconds. Once she finished, Itsuki showed her message to Karin.

The first sentence on the page was 'Thank you', the second sentence was 'I'm sorry for troubling you', and the third sentence was 'Karin-san, why are you here?'

Karin herself had no clue how to respond to the question immediately. She was curious, yes, but she was also worried. However, she didn't want to look like she was coming out too strong, so…

"Uhmm… Well, I'm a Hero so I'm patrolling!"

Itsuki blinked and showed a confused expression. She wrote her response and tilted her head as she presented the response to her upperclassman.

'Patrolling for what?'

Karin felt like regretting what she had said now. Even so, her pride as a Hero would not allow her to fall in disgrace so she puffed up her chest and placed her hands on her waist.

"I'm patrolling in case some shady people enter the school's premise!"

Karin felt so proud of her own answer that she grinned and craned her head up.

However, she heard a scratching sound so she lowered her chin and saw a new sentence on a new blank page right before her eyes.

'Karin-san, that's the job of the security staff and teachers.'

 _Nwaaaaahhh! My move was countered!_

Karin should have realized it way before she entered the classroom. She was facing the younger sister of Fuu who always spewed outdated jokes and nonsenses wherever and whenever she felt like it. In other words, Itsuki was a formidable opponent who could nullify any half-assed logic she comes across.

 _What a fearsome girl!_

As Karin was horrified by the situation she was in, she found Itsuki frowning at her. She scribbled again and conveyed her opinion in a sentence.

'I'm not sure why but I feel like you're being very rude, Karin-san.'

That comment cooled down the brunette's temper. Drastically.

"Ah, well… Sorry," Karin apologized, this time with a hand rubbing the back of her head. "At any rate, I'm a little curious."

Upon seeing Itsuki's confused expression for the second time, Karin coughed into her right fist and squared her shoulders a little.

"That's right. I thought you were going to hang out with your friends, but why are you staying behind, Itsuki?"

Much to Karin's surprise, Itsuki suddenly took a sharp breath in. The petite blonde looked away a little and her fingers fidgeted around the sketchbook in her hold, yet she chose to take action by writing a response anyway.

What Karin saw made her eyes round up.

'They're going to the karaoke box.'

…That was…

That was unexpected. Karin would have never expected that response but she realized that she had done the wrong thing. _Why am I always like this…!?_

"I… Sorry, Itsuki. I asked something insen—"

A scribbling noise resounded again and Karin stopped speaking any further once she read another response.

She read 'It's okay' first, 'I know you didn't mean it, Karin-san' second, and lastly 'I'm sure I can participate next time.'

…It was a powerful response.

Itsuki's smile faltered for a moment when she showed her answer, but the girl held her chin up and bestowed strength in her expression. She did not avert her eyes nor did she cower under the scrutiny of the dumbfounded Karin.

Even though she was incapable of speaking at the moment, the Hero of Taisha realized the girl before her possessed an overflowing courage that did not lose to her friends or even her older sibling. She wasn't afraid of speaking her thoughts even though it was difficult, and she did not yield to pressures unlike before.

 _…Aah… I'm hopeless._

Realizing that she had been defeated soundly, Karin exasperated. The girl planted a hand on her forehead, formed a thin smile on her face, and met Itsuki's soft green gaze head-on. Karin then lowered her hand from her forehead.

"...Let's go back to the club room," the upperclassman suggested. "If you've got nothing to do, why not pester Fuu to kill some time?"

At the troubled expression Itsuki displayed, Miyoshi Karin huffed and turned her back on her.

"Come on, Itsuki. It beats doing nothing, right?"

* * *

A strong wind brought dead leaves across the floor of the rooftop. The sky rumbled and rolling clouds followed after the wind's direction. Beneath such sky, Fuu's gasp was silenced and she stared without blinking at her friends.

"…Our body won't… heal?" The girl touched the eyepatch covering her left eye. "…Is that… Is that a joke?"

Tougou shook her head upon the question. She had explained what she had seen, what she had heard, and her thoughts about the event from yesterday. Relying on her friend and the notes she had recorded in her smartphone, Tougou recounted everything without exaggerating or even putting any room for vague reasoning.

At the end of it, she could only watch as the figure of her upperclassman trembled in silence. It pained Tougou to be a direct witness of it, and it further stung her heart because she and Yuuna had to tell the cruel truth they stumbled upon.

As if noticing her inner turmoil, Yuuna stepped forward with her right hand placed close to the left side of her chest.

"We…" The red-haired girl trailed off. "We aren't sure what to do with this, so we decided to tell you first, Fuu-senpai…"

Tougou heard Fuu taking a sharp breath in. The elder Inubouzaki sibling was shaken, and she was definitely confused and doubtful. _Words alone will not convince her._

"…Fuu-senpai," the wheelchair-bound girl called out. "I know that this is difficult for you to accept, but it is the truth. Taisha has been hiding the truth and told us only what conveniences them."

 _We were deceived,_ Tougou thought. _I was too naïve to believe that there's no ulterior motive hidden behind their actions._

As Heroes, the members of the Hero Club were treated with deep respect by Taisha. Take for example the seaside resort reserved exclusively for them. The staffs bowed down in front of the Heroes' presences and anything they wished for were granted without any form of compensation. All the luxurious food, all the unreasonable amount of spending and services…

 _All of it is because we are immortals akin to deities. It was not done out of pure goodwill, but religious intention bordering on fanaticism._

"…Why?"

The moment Fuu asked that question, Tougou's expression twisted. She pursed her lips into a thin line, feeling enormous weight crushing her from above and there was an instinctual urge to avert her eyes away from the person standing in front of her.

"...Why us?" Fuu asked. "What about… if we won't get better, then... What about Itsuki's voice…?"

Even so, the girl resisted. Tougou refused to accept that sign of weakness. It was alright; she could endure this. _I am not alone, so… it's alright._

"The Heroes are…" Tougou inhaled. "The price of fighting as Heroes is an eternal life while sacrificing a piece of ourselves as an offering to the Gods."

Tougou imagined the day where she would lose everything. What would happen if she used Mankai in the previous battle? What would she lose? Her arms? Her eyes? Her sense of smell and touch? Could it be that she would lose her heart and mind too?

"Before us… there were Heroes who fought against the Vertexes."

The black-haired girl looked down to her unmoving legs, and she thought about what had caused her disability.

 _Two years ago,_ Tougou recalled. _I woke up in the hospital without remembering anything before two years ago._

"They fought and used Mankai as well. And then, Sange activated and they…"

According to the doctor and her parents, Tougou was involved in a car accident around that time. She was injured badly and as a result, she had lost her memories and the ability to walk. At the time, the doctor told her this:

 _'It is no longer possible for you to be able to use your legs, and it's likely that the memories you lost will never return.'_

That evening, after she returned to the hospital room designated for her, her parents cried and apologized for a reason beyond her understanding. They did not explain why, they did not stop even though Tougou wished for them to stop, and they continued to apologize until their tears dried up and their voices became hoarse.

"…It's…" Tougou bit her lips as she resolved herself. "…It is the truth. The person who said this – Nogi Sonoko – is a very important person in Taisha. She is also disabled, just like…"

Why was the first word that came to her mind 'us'?

 _…Could it be that I too…_

As Tougou feared for what her thought was about to come up with, she heard a harsh breath coming from ahead of her, and it definitely came from her upperclassman.

"...Have you two... told anyone else about this?"

At Fuu's sudden question, both Tougou and Yuuna looked up and met her gaze.

"...No," Tougou said. "We chose to confide with you because we do not know what to do now. Only I and Yuuna-chan know what we know."

 _But it is as far as we can be concerned with,_ she thought. _There are… too many questionable aspects and there is no guarantee that Taisha will leave us to our own devices._

The organization which had managed and protected the country for the past 300 years must have tremendous power backing them. In that case, there was no way they would not put the people under surveillance and Tougou had suspicions that at least someone among the townspeople was another Taisha's agent working separately than those she knew of.

 _But if that is so, those we already know would also be in the position of..._

"...I see," Fuu paused. "Then, I would like the two of you to not tell this to anyone."

"...Huh?"

The response Fuu gave came as a genuine surprise.

After all, she just said that they had to keep it a secret. Tougou asked why and Fuu nodded with her right eye closed.

"If this is why you two are acting odd, then I can at least guess what's going on in your head, Tougou." Fuu inhaled. "I don't want you to doubt Issei or Karin for this."

"That is…" Tougou breathed out, her hands that were gripping the arms of her wheelchair gradually letting go of them. "I have… never thought of it that way, Senpai."

"Yeah, but... you're worried about Taisha's involvement in all this, right?* Fuu looked at Yuuna. "As for Yuuna, you're worried about him, that's why you asked that question. I can understand that. After all, Issei's parents do not seem to have high opinions of the organization."

Tougou followed her senior's gaze and found Yuuna nodding along. _Yuuna-chan…_

"Still," Fuu said. "We can't panic now. I don't want Itsuki, Karin or even _Issei_ to misunderstand something we don't have complete understanding of. That's why, don't try to do anything reckless."

"...But…"

"It's alright." Fu formed a fleeting smile. "...I'm sure… I'm sure everything will be alright."

 _...What will be alright…?_

Did Fuu not get it? Or was she deluding herself? Tougou hoped that was not the case. She knew the girl well enough that she could trust her decision when the situation counted.

 _But, can I truly put such heavy responsibility in the care of someone I consider a friend…?_

After all, the reassurance Tougou heard was like cracked glass. The tone of Fuu's voice was fragile, faint, and it lacked any shred of the usual spirit the blonde always had.

 _Fuu-senpai is no different than us,_ the black-haired girl concluded. _She's as shaken as us, yet she still believed that everything will return back to normal someway somehow._

However, will everything truly take a better turn?

Could Tougou trust everyone, including the people who had deceived her and her friends? Could she believe that the day would come where the daily life she cherished would return regardless of the many lies and secrets hidden from the Heroes…?

Tougou felt a prickling sensation from her cheek and she looked up to the darkened sky.

At the same time, everyone heard a distinct sound.

The sound of groaning metal resounded through the windy atmosphere. The three members of Hero Club turned their heads to the door connecting the rooftop and the school building, and they saw the remaining two members entering their sight.

"Itsuki… Karin...?"

The brunette whose name was called out by Fuu raised an eyebrow. Tougou's heartbeat accelerated as frighteningly cold air brushed her shoulders and her thoughts scrambled in search of a way to salvage the situation before it could escalate.

However, the wheelchair-bound girl heard the soft ringing sound of a bell in the blowing winds.

Her turquoise green eyes widened and her heart rapidly pounded. A sense of nostalgia and familiarity spread throughout her body, but it was soon overwhelmed by a sudden wave of dizziness that hurt her mind.

Tougou struggled from letting out a cry, but the pressure burdening her head forced her to close her eyes – and cold darkness surrounded her for a single moment.

* * *

It was an indescribable feeling; it was alien and yet familiar to Yuuna.

The sounds of a chime faded away and the sudden headache that assailed her died down as if it was never there. Yuuna slowly reopened her eyes as she heard ceaseless noise that reminded her of a river with a strong current, and yet when her sight adjusted itself to the surroundings…

"…Huh…?"

The world around her had changed.

Yuuna looked to the left and right. The redhead found only copious amount of water and she soon realized that her body was submerged in a lake that reached right above her knees.

"Wh-What? What…!?" Yuuna reeled back only to feel cold water pouring down onto her back. "Eek…!?"

When she turned around, she didn't expect to see a big waterfall or even falling sprays of water. Yuuna couldn't anticipate this kind of absurdity happening so all she could do was covering her face with her arms and getting drenched with gallons of water.

Some water entered her eyes and the sensation stung her like a biting ant.

Yuuna yelped, retreated frantically and fell to her butt after tripping over a patch of slippery ground. An echo of splashing water spread throughout the place and Yuuna heard someone calling out to her from distances away.

"Yuuna-chan...!?"

"T-Tougou-san?!" Yuuna looked over her shoulder only to spot her best friend stationed on the rim of a flat limestone with a stone Torii towering somewhat far behind it. "Um, I'm okay!"

To prove she was alright, Yuuna waved and stood up. She turned around, weaved her way toward the flat limestone her best friend was at. Then she heard something like dripping water from right beside her ear and Yuuna saw water droplet falling from above.

"...It's raining."

That was a worrying matter. Yuuna could boast as much as she want about being the epitome of living a healthy lifestyle but she got herself wet due to her carelessness, she was in a shallow lake of cold water that reached above her knees, and the weather had grown worse.

 _At this rate, we're going to catch a cold..._

With that thought plaguing her mind, Yuuna sped up to reach the location her friend was at. She also spotted the rest of the Hero Club approaching from the corners of the lake hidden by boulders and cliffs.

 _Everyone's safe…!_

Yuuna wanted to celebrate over that fact, but Karin suddenly raised her voice once everyone gathered together.

"What happened?" The brunette looked around. "Where are we?"

As no one knew the answer to their current predicament, only the sounds of the waterfalls filled the silence. Karin ground her teeth in frustration, Tougou wore a troubled expression, and the Inubouzaki siblings joined hands to reassure themselves.

" …Umm…" Yuuna muttered. "...I feel like, this has happened before…"

No. In fact, it already did. This experience reminded her very much of being transported to the Jukai, but there were things that did not add up.

The many boulders and damaged large rocks scattered throughout the lakes drew her attention first.

Even though green moss had blanketed a particularly large boulder from top to bottom, some of the others did not have the same condition. They looked like rocks that had recently fallen from a steep cliffs, and it caused Yuuna to look up.

 _...Why do the cliffs look like they were freshly gouged out?_

Did something happen here? Was it an erosion, or could it be a landslide? The redhead pondered and realized why the damages on the environment felt off to her; they didn't look like they were weathered by nature.

 _What happened here?_ Yuuna's thought deepened. _It… feels as if they were deliberately destroyed, maybe something with extraordinary force had chipped the cliffs and carved the freshly damaged rocks out._

What could do that? Yuuna didn't take a moment to assume a possibility.

"...Say, why does this place look like a battlefield?" Karin suddenly asked

Everyone turned towards her. The girl blinked at the amount of attention she had garnered but she huffed and shook her shoulders.

"What? Either there was an earthquake or someone did all this. After all…" Karin pointed at the stone Torii standing behind her. "There are protective charms Taisha often used on this Torii gate."

 _...Really?_

"Is that true, Karin…?" Fuu asked with a slightly low voice.

Karin seemed to take notice of the tone Fuu had, and so did the rest of the club members.

What to do? Yuuna broke out cold sweat. _We just told Fuu-senpai all that…_

Of course she would be worried. Of course she would be anxious and cautious. Fuu was, at heart, a free-spirited girl, but even she knew that there were times for her to pause and think deeper about something.

However, that was only when serious topics appeared and the most often she wiped off her smirk was when the Heroes had to take up their Duty.

"…Yuuna-chan," from her side Tougou called out. "This is…"

Before her best friend could finish her sentence, Yuuna's shoulders jolted as if someone had bumped against her back. It caused her to reflexively turn around.

A series of events happened in succession.

The first thing Yuuna noticed was a pillar of green light rising from the depth of the forest. It carved a straight line that gradually ascended and it vanished into the cloudy skies as if the source powering the beam emptied out.

Not long after, Yuuna heard a lone roar shaking the air.

Yuuna had no clue what that was. It didn't sound like an animal's howling nor did it sound like something a human could produce.

Even so, she felt like she knew it and uttered a name.

"...Ise...senpai…?"

Why did the roar remind her of the friend she had befriended starting from this spring?

Why did she believe that was a fact even though there were logical arguments against it?

Why did the voice pained her heart...?

"...It sounded…" Tougou's voice trailed off. "...It is as if someone is in great pain…"

 _...Ah, so that's it._

Yuuna latched her right hand on her chest, holding tight to the fabric of her uniform. She felt her own body's temperature by pressing the hand against her chest, but the heartbeat she sensed was anything but pleasant.

She knew this voice. _I know and I understand what sort of voice this is._

Yuuki Yuuna remembered what could possibly cause the boy she admired to let out such a heart-rending roar, and she clearly understood why she was feeling in pain.

 _...He's crying again…_


	53. Chapter 45 - Those who Know Grief IV

It was nearing dusk.

After the rain stopped, the clouds dispersed and allowed the sunset to shine on the land of Shikoku. Despite that, all that could be heard was the orchestra played by the cicadas and the streams of waterfalls surrounding a shallow lake.

On a corner of the lake was a shore filled with tiny white pebbles. It was one of the few dry places and there stood an old shrine where human movements could be seen.

"Karin, lend me the hammer."

A blond-haired girl extended a hand to her co-worker who had been nailing down the jutted out wooden flooring. She heard a grunt and the object she wanted was placed on her opened hand.

Fuu immediately used the hammer to strike a bent railing back into its default position. She nodded at the result of her handiwork and walked back to her friend to return the tool she had borrowed.

"How's he?" Karin asked without looking away from her work. "I don't think staying here for long is a good idea. He needs medical treatment."

"Yeah, but the water here has actual healing properties…" Fuu turned to catch the scenery of the lake and the stone Torii that stood in the middle of it. "I guess this is a place meant for purification ritual, but everything is in shambles."

"Don't forget that we're going to sleep in a similarly poorly-maintained shrine that should not have been here the last time I checked." Karin rolled her eyes to the side. "This whole thing's fishy. Our phones don't work at all and that stupidly huge and rude guy disappeared before we could interrogate him. Then we found this shrine, spotted the tools to repair it alongside an instruction in how to heal that perverted idiot, and obtained spare clothes that have our exact measurements."

"...Yeah, the last one feels a bit too much, huh? Maybe the Gods don't have much sense of humor, _unlike me_."

Karin chose to nod instead of speaking out her answer. The brunette was probably going to ignore everything else while concentrating only on her job. It made Fuu sigh in exasperation.

 _Geez, this is getting out of control..._

"If only we have more helping hands…" Fuu bent down to carry several wooden beams to the next problematic area. "But we can't leave Issei alone here, and we don't know how to get out."

 _More than that, is this some sort of ploy?_

The man from earlier was not a person Fuu would think of as friendly. He didn't seem to care about anything and even though he called Issei a _disciple,_ he treated her underclassman more like a sandbag than an actual person. Fuu wondered if there was some repressed hatred in play and the burly man simply wanted to find an excuse to harm someone.

As she walked along the porch, Fuu saw a petite girl walking out from the inner sanctum of the shrine. Fuu waved with her empty hand that wasn't carrying the wooden beams and her little sister responded by smiling while holding her sketchbook.

Fuu nearly stopped breathing when she recalled what Tougou and Yuuna said.

 _Those who used Mankai will not recover._ Fuu's thought replayed the truth she came across earlier. _Taisha has been lying to us, my left eye and Itsuki's voice won't recover as well—_

"...H-Huh?" Fuu blinked as she felt a tugging on her sleeve. "Ah… Itsuki, what… what is it?"

The petite girl with short blond hair raised her sketchbook into Fuu's line of sight. It was right beside Itsuki who displayed a concerned expression, and her opinion was conveyed through the words written on the paper medium.

'Are you okay, Onee-chan?'

Fuu secretly sucked in a sharp breath and ignored her pounding heart.

"...I'm… fine," the elder Inubouzaki sibling said. "I'm fine, Itsuki. It's just that, well, I didn't expect the club to end up at a summer camp with absolutely no planning at all."

Itsuki stared a bit at Fuu before she nodded. She flipped a page, uncapped her marker pen and wrote a second sentence.

'Maybe you should rest. I'm done laying out the futons for everyone.'

"...Ah… I see…" Fuu tilted her head a little and scratched it. "Umm, Itsuki? Don't you think it's strange that there are futons in this rundown shrine?"

Her little sister could only frown and gave a single response at that.

'Onee-chan, you're going to receive divine punishment, you know? Shinju-sama is literally living next door to this place.'

It was unexpectedly dry and witty. A portion of Fuu's mind cheered 'As expected of Itsuki!' but the other portion wanted to scream and rage at herself for being a wuss. The two conflicting thoughts ended up frying whatever was left of Fuu's rationale side.

"Uh, right… forget what I just said then."

Despite receiving a confused stare from Itsuki, Fuu didn't deign any more response. She chose to walk off and do her job mindlessly, and wished that she could forget all of this as a dream once a new dawn arrived.

 _As if that would happen._

Fuu could tell. She could tell all of this was real. It was all happening, and there was no way that she could deny the truth even with her Hero's power.

The words 'Reality' and 'Fiction' exist for a certain reason, after all.

 _But… if this is all the irrefutable truth, then…_

Fuu breathed out. "...This would have been easier had I alone suffered in everyone's stead…"

* * *

In another place, two people conversed on the edge of a flat limestone surrounded with clear spring waters.

One of them was a girl with conspicuous red hair tied in a slightly out-of-place ponytail, and the other was a black-haired girl. The two were sitting next to each other with a third person resting his head on the former's lap.

"...He's not waking up," Yuuna sighed after she glanced at her friend's half-submerged body. "Will he truly be alright…"

 _...Well… the instruction said physical contact with us helps stabilize his condition… but is that really how it works?_

"All we can do is have faith now." Tougou bobbed her down. "Shall we switch, Yuuna-chan?"

The redhead shook her head at the suggestion.

"It's fine," Yuuna replied. "I have the highest aptitude, right? So that means I can help speed up Ise-senpai's recovery rate the best out of everyone here. I'm sure it won't be for long."

Tougou could only smile bitterly at her stubbornness. _That's Yuuna-chan's most defined charm for you._

Taking a deep breath in, Tougou looked up to the reddening sky. The heaven was exceptionally clear. Without the lights of the city, she could detect faint glimmers of stars dotting the different shades of red that dyed the skies.

She felt the sky was infinitely more distant and vast than before. It made her feel like a very insignificant being.

"...Yuuna-chan." Tougou pulled out a folded blanket from by her side. "This place is going to get colder as time goes by. At nightfall, we should stop the healing session and bring Issei-san to the shrine with us."

That way, no one would catch a cold. If she remembered correctly, there was a sunken hearth for cooking and heating the room so she was sure everyone could go through the night comfortably.

However, as for food supply...

"So you're still waiting?" An irritated and rough grunt followed. "I swear, the jobs I got hired for didn't say a single thing about handling brats…"

 _...Here he comes,_ Tougou's smile thinned as she felt a violent urge to snap at the appearance of the man who caused the many, many problems the Hero Club was having.

"What are you looking at?" The man who seemed to have appeared from thin air and crouching on a nearby giant boulder scoffed. "If you want to fight, then just say the word. I don't reject entertainment."

"Oh my? It seems like someone is getting ahead of himself. _Again_."

Tougou heard Yuuna yelping but she was sure that it was because of the foreign man who proclaimed that he was a Hero. Indeed, he was anything but a Hero from his conducts and personality. Even though he had a great figure's name, he did not live in accordance to a noble creed and he was definitely not a person who could make friends.

Tougou understood her friend's plight the most, as her own name originated from the famous admiral Tougou Heihachirou. _This crass barbarian is not what I or even_ anyone _can call a Hero unless civilization returned back to the early years of the Old Era._

"So," Tougou said upon noticing the intense glare the man had. "Why are you here, Heracles- _san?_ Are you here to waste your precious time again like what you did?"

The giant of a man snorted.

"Sure, let's go with that." He raised a big plastic bag filled to the brim. "I'm being kind for today but it doesn't seem like the people who needed help the most want it."

Someone clicked their tongue.

"T-Tougou-san…!?" Yuuna swiveled her head, looking between her friend and the self-proclaimed Combat Instructor for several times until she had enough of it. "U-Umm…! I''m sorry, but, is that food…?"

"I just grabbed anything I saw, so be grateful."

Heracles threw the plastic bag toward Yuuna. It was too fast to follow the trajectory and it was too sudden for anyone to respond to it properly.

However, a white cow with four wings appeared and caught the plastic bag before it hit Yuuna. The girl squeaked in surprise as a cat with fiery wheels materialized next to the cow fairy and both of them began putting down the shopping bag between their master and Tougou.

 _...Did they appear because Yuuna-chan is in danger?_ Tougou stared as Yuuna thanked her fairies with a grateful smile on her face. _The timing is too convenient, and they both seem to think such a harmless act require their protection._

"...Oh, so that's what's protecting the lots of you all this time." The foreign man hummed as if pondering about something. "I see now. I get what's the deal with this immortality-thing that tiny brat spoke of, now."

 _...He knows?_

"Don't look at me like that. Of course I know." The foreign Hero shook his shoulders. "I didn't come here without preparation. I also gained various interesting info by trading with the piece-of-shit local organization you brats call Taisha."

"...Are you gloating, Heracles-san?" Tougou asked.

"No. I simply find you all so pathetic that I can't even take any of you seriously, not even as fellow Heroes."

Tougou was certain her best friend had flinched. She directed a smoldering gaze at Heracles because of that but he was not fazed at all. It irritated her to know that even though she would not approve of Heracles as a Hero, he had some of the most defined qualities of one.

"Don't give me that look," Heracles said with a chiding tone. "You're living in a place infinitely better than some hellholes out there. People spoiled by the kindness of others like you don't have the right to stand on the same stage as I or that unconscious brat over there."

 _...This man…!_

Heracles slowly stood up. "Whatever the case, I'm going to drag that brat off once he recovered, so—"

"W-Why is that!?"

 _...What?_

Tougou realized that it was Yuuna who had raised her voice. _Yuuna-chan…?_

"Why… can you keep on moving like that?" Yuuna inhaled, even as her eyes trembled alongside her shoulders. "I… I don't get it. How come the two of you can keep moving forward…"

The girl raised her right hand and clutched her uniform close to where her heart resided in. That hand was trembling as well.

"...Ise-senpai," Yuuna paused. "Ise-senpai already lost so much. He is… a dragon now, right…? He can't live like a human any longer because he stopped being one… right…?"

While Tougou could not say anything to those claims, Heracles confirmed it with a nod.

"That's right. The brat is basically ageless now." The man pointed at the sleeping boy. "He still _can_ be killed, but he's immortal in the sense that his life won't be dictated by time anymore. He has also been having a hard time keeping up an appearance as a human because of his own incompetence and inexperience."

 _...That's… I, I didn't know that…_

"...I didn't know that." Yuuna phrased out as if her thought coincided with Tougou's. "Is there… more than this? Is he hiding more than he lets on…? And, if that's so, why is..."

"Don't ask me that. Go ask _him_ by yourself, or is your claim that you're his 'friend' a complete lie?"

The man who Tougou barely knew seemed as if he was exasperating. She wondered what went through his head but the man placed his right hand on his left shoulder and popped his neck joint.

The cracking sound soon drowned in the never ceasing streams of water.

"Either way, this is it for me today," The foreign Hero said. "Tell the brat to be ready. If he wants to take back what he lost, he should have realized by this point that throwing tantrums will not magically fix things up."

The Greek Champion turned his back toward the group before he added.

"Show me what it means for you to be a Hero."

In the next instance there was a glass-shattering sound and Heracles's figure vanished from the boulder he was on as if he had never been there at all.

* * *

[You're an awful kid, partner.]

In the pitch-black realm devoid of all existing universal laws, a red dragon looked down with his green eyes accusing the person reflected in them. The way he growled through the closed teeth that resembled an uneven saw blade and the way he glared was more than enough to give even the most courageous a serious case of heart-attack.

Under the scrutiny of the dragon, all Issei could do was looking down at his feet.

[Being angry for someone else is as good as any decent excuse is, but going berserk until you temporarily lost sanity for twenty-four hours straight?] Ddraig tilted his vaguely triangular head before he scoffed. [You should have died _a dozen times over_ for fighting against a full-fledged hero in a crazed state like that.]

To the lecture he received, Issei could only lock his jaws in place and listen from the very beginning until the very end.

He was at fault, after all. He had let his emotions run amok, fought even though he was dead tired and he had caused problems to the point of having his Instructor talk him down by giving him a severe beating.

 _That still doesn't mean I can accept what he said or even did…_

[Partner, hiding your thoughts is futile here. This is the border between life and death, and it's a space accessible only by you and me. _I can hear you just fine_.]

Issei promptly gulped. Ddraig stared for a while and then sighed, his folded wings growing less tense while his elongated neck descended to meet Issei on the eye-level.

[If you dare to rampage like that again, then I will withhold any information that I know you want to know.]

"…What!? Come on, you can't do _that_ , Ddraig!"

[Look at your opponent in the face when you try to challenge them.] The red-scaled dragon chided. [Also, you can't leave this place until you stop fussing about those stuff. Don't try to weasel yourself out; I can instinctively tell through the state of your mental condition.]

After Ddraig said everything that needed to be said, Issei ground his teeth in frustration and resignation. Eventually, he released his balled hands and lowered his shoulders. The boy released a deep breath through his mouth.

Ddraig retracted his head back to its default position once Issei had truly, _truly_ calmed down. However, the dragon remained staring at him as if trying to drill a hole through his head and heart.

[Good,] Ddraig said with a nod. [Now, listen. You have no idea how much troubles you've put yourself in, partner.]

"…What do you mean by that?"

Was there anything else other than getting both of his arms popped out from their joints? Issei recalled the sound beating and he shivered slightly at the mention of 'should have died a dozen times over'.

He knew that was partially his fault, but Heracles could be very brutal when he wanted to.

[Yes, actually.] Ddraig closed his green eyes for a moment. […The first thing is something you really wouldn't want to know.]

"…What is it?"

Ddraig took a deep breath. [The Gods of this land have officially acknowledged your and my presence, and they have decided to aid you from now onwards.]

 _…What…?_

"…You're kidding." Issei stared at Ddraig only to nearly lose the ability to think. "…That… That can't be right. Why are the Gods showing their interests in me?"

Why would they do that? Issei had done nothing but being a hindrance. He had caused a lot of problems and he had fought in a sacred place directly connected with the place Shinju resided in. Had Heracles not been around, he would have….

[Don't you get it? This is the same,] Ddraig pointed out. [Only those who attract the attentions of the Gods could be loved by them and blessed with their power. You, partner, have brought this result upon yourself because of what you did.]

"B-But… what about the time I rampaged around!?"

[That's actually the last nail to the coffin. As I said, you brought this upon yourself, partner.]

"No way…"

Did the Gods not care about the feelings their Chosen Ones had, to arbitrarily decide like that? However, Issei couldn't deny that it was exactly because they were Gods that they could do something like that.

The Gods were not humans. Even if they protected mankind, that still did not mean they had the same thinking pattern as humans had, or even the same heart that would bleed even for the most trivial reason. What standard did the Gods even have, and wasn't it presumptuous of Issei to even consider for a moment that Gods were no different than humans?

"…What…" Issei trailed off. "What should I… do, Ddraig…?"

The dragon he sought an answer from unfortunately shook his head.

[This is non-negotiable,] Ddraig said. [Sure, I can go toe-to-toe against a God or even the world, but I'm no longer in my prime and I'm sealed in this Sacred Gear. Even then, the last big fight I participated in was a four-way battle against the White One, and the three great Mythological Factions that once ruled the previous era.]

In other words, Issei could do nothing but accept the reality standing right before his eyes.

"…What… what should I do…?"

[Your Instructor already beat the lesson into the marrows of your bones… Or have you forgotten it already?]

 _No,_ Issei rebuked. _Of course not, but if it's like that, then…_

[…That's right. Though the divinity of the Gods of this land is incompatible with us, they can still supply you with the energy stored in the leylines.]

 _…So that means…_

"Did I fight against Heracles for _that_ long because I…" Issei pointed at himself. "Was granted near-endless energy?"

Ddraig once again nodded. [Now you can charge up further with Boost, but your physical state is inhibiting your potential severely. I estimate you can reach twenty-four Boosts at maximum.]

"…That's a lot of Boosts…"

[Those damned Harvesting Tools have recorded your pattern and will fight you with strengthened vessels each time you meet them.] The Heavenly Dragon grunted. [Unless you get yourself killed at some point, they will attack, be defeated, and then prepare themselves better for a rematch.]

 _..Why does that sound as if Vertexes are Shounen-manga Protagonists?_

Issei honestly wished he could be given a break even if it was only for a second. There were just too much to take in, and—

"…Hold it right there." Issei raised his right hand. "Why are you making it sound as if the Vertexes don't have any limit in numbers? There are only… twelve… of them…"

As his voice faded into the darkness, Issei's eyes rounded up. He realized something was off, he noticed that the things he knew mostly came from his friends… And that very information came from Taisha who arbitrarily chose young girls as _offerings to the Gods_ without their consent.

[Partner.] Ddraig's voice echoed and brought Issei's mind back from spiraling down into hopelessness. [I don't have any right to say this with everything that you've come to understand now, but that can be for later.]

 _…Why?_ Issei wanted to ask his battle partner that. Ddraig seemed reluctant, and his gaze seemed to have softened if not riddled with guilt and anxiety. _Why are you showing that kind of face?_

Even though that kind of look didn't suit a dragon like Ddraig…

"…You make it as if you're keeping a huge secret you should have told me beforehand," Issei remarked as he lowered his hand. "…At least… At least, can I ask why you're being reluctant about it, Ddraig…?"

The dragon with scales as red as molten lava craned his head and tried to look away. However, he stopped himself midway through and he closed his eyes tight.

Silence ensued until Issei heard a deep, rumbling sigh from the Welsh Dragon.

[I've become too attached again,] Ddraig confessed. [My hosts… All of my hosts until now possess the blood of human, the flesh of human, the soul of a human… and the heart of a human.]

As he explained his reasoning, the red coloration of his scales seemed to grow darker. Issei could only watch and listen to what Ddraig wanted to say, and he didn't deign a response because he knew that there must be something more than this.

[Humans are weak,] Ddraig stated as if it was common sense. [They are mortals as insignificant as ants. To me who have fought against Gods and Demons for as long as I can remember, I couldn't come to care about whatever they did or whatever they thought.]

 _However,_ the Heavenly Dragon added.

[For eons I have brushed aside the weak and prioritized myself in proving my Dominion. I fought against everything that wanted me dead, and I crushed my opposition every single time excepting the White One who is my eternal rival and equal. Again and again and again.]

Issei imagined what kind of life Ddraig had. A life full of hardships, a life full of opponents that wanted to kill you even in your sleep…

It was a solitary life that focused on oneself alone.

"…Did you… have any friend, Ddraig?"

The red dragon merely shook his head. He did not put any strength or even emotion in that gesture, and he merely pulled his jaws to give an impression of an empty smile.

[There are many dragons out there, but I am a Heavenly Dragon.] Ddraig responded with half-opened eyes. [There are rare cases where Dragons are born from the fluctuation of swirling power instead of the normal, more animalistic way. I suppose you could say that I am an embodiment of power that suddenly and spontaneously gained its own conscience and ego.]

"…Then…"

[As an embodiment of power, I am thus defined as a powerful existence by both heaven and earth from the moment of my birth,] Ddraig said. [I am strong, but I am far too strong that any weaker being would die before they could touch my scale or even hear me roar. As a dragon, I too am considered to be in a class of my own, only comparable with another Heavenly Dragon who came from the same origin as me and the Five Dragon Kings, and only outclassed by the Infinite and the Dream.]

 _Then,_ Issei realized. _Then, Ddraig has always been alone ever since he was born._

Without a mother and a father to love him, without a safe and warm place that he could truly call as 'home', without a friend or even a kin that he could pour his thoughts and heart out to, and without memories that could comfort him in his sleep…

Ddraig had been born all alone, and living all by himself for as long as he existed; just because he was born as a powerful existence.

[Do not pity me, partner,] Ddraig suddenly said. [I have long accepted the nature of my existence. If you ever try to tarnish that truth or even try to think about doing the same, then I'd curse you until the end of time because you are robbing me from everything that I have.]

Issei looked up to the dragon his soul was linked to.

He didn't know what kind of past Ddraig had. Issei admitted that he was curious sometimes, but he had never tried to actively pursue the truth and asked Ddraig about it. Now that another truth was revealed, Issei realized it was not as interesting as many people have said and it was clearly not something he could ever be happy for knowing.

[Either way,] Ddraig muttered with an emphasis put on his words. [After I was sealed in this Sacred Gear, I came to realize that I could not live freely like before, that I would watch over many mortals live and die out, that the best I could do was to talk to them, and that being in a position without power forced me to know what it means to lose something.]

"Lose… Something…" Issei parroted. "…Could it be…"

Ddraig nodded. [Didn't I tell you? I have met many humans before you. I have interacted with the old and the young, men and women and eccentrics that somehow put themselves in the middle, then there are the lunatics and idiots who wouldn't accept anything outside of their perception of the world.]

As he droned on, the dragon's expression loosened. Issei noticed how spirited his smile was, how the dragon's eyes seemed to glimmer in amusement and pride – and yet at the end of it he put it to a rest through a sigh mixed with contentment as well as bitterness.

[Yes,] Ddraig said with a nod. [I came to know what parting and giving a farewell is. I came to know what grieving is. I came to know what it means to shed tears upon losing someone important to me.]

The dragon then laughed. He laughed in resignation, and yet Issei sensed that there was strength and acceptance in the laughter which resembled a chuckle more than it might sound like.

"…But," Issei paused. "Even so, you… came to know more than that, right? You understand more than that… right? Ddraig…?"

[Indeed that is the case.] Ddraig sighed. [I, who once cared so little about everything that is not my equal, became curious of what made you mortals act. I desired, and I acted in accordance to what my heart wished for.]

As a result—

"There's a connection… right…?" Issei looked down at his raised right hand, and then he once again looked up to meet his partner in the eyes. "You… understand what it means to be bonded with someone because of what you have gone through."

The dragon merely nodded at his question. He did not say 'yes' or speak of anything else, but Issei could understand why; there was no need for words at this point.

To the Heavenly Dragon, the bonds he had come to know, learned, understood, and created were something he cherished.

To the Welsh Dragon Ddraig, the lesson of treasuring what he had took precedence above everything, simply because he was aware of how important that wisdom was.

 _In that case…_

Issei inhaled. "You don't want me to know what you know because you realize I will be hurt. You're hiding the truth because you don't want to lose the bond we've created."

 _…Aah… I can't believe it…_

Before he knew it, a smile permeated on the boy's face. He had some guesses and he probably looked weird at the moment, but he couldn't help it.

"You're surprisingly emotional for being a dragon, Ddraig." Issei pointed out as he placed his hands on his waist. "Fine, then. Don't tell me right now. Just give me what you know when the time is right and if it will help me get out of some pinches."

The red dragon let out a surprised grunt. His expression as a dragon was definitely hard to interpret, much less to notice, but Issei had communicated with Ddraig enough that he could at least understand his expression through his voice.

"Don't think of this as my goodwill," Issei added. "I don't like how everyone is hiding something behind my back, but I know that even if we're friends, there's a line we can't cross because that's just how it is."

[…Are you sure? You aren't even ready to face the new obstacle in your path.]

 _Meh, then I will just deal with it when the time comes._

"It's not like I will lose, anyway." Issei shrugged. "I'm going to be a Harem King, I'm going to protect my home, my family, and my friends. I'm going to make sure everyone that I hold dear can return to the place we belong to, and not even God can stop me from doing that."

 _So,_ the boy said as he extended his right arm above his head.

"Even though I can't regain what I already lost or even turn back time in hopes of fixing everything…" Issei clenched his hand and formed a fist. "I still won't give up. I will _never_ give up on chasing my dream."

That was his vow.

That was Issei's wish and dream.

That was the boy's truest desire that came from the depth of his heart.

[…Hah.] Upon hearing that, the Heavenly Dragon suppressed a laugh. [I see that it's useless to even talk you down about what's impossible or not.]

 _In that case,_ Ddraig further whispered. He stepped aside, his gargantuan figure moving as if floating and his wings moved so as to not obscure anything that Issei was about to see.

"Huh—"

Light blinded him for a moment.

Issei shielded his eyes with his arms crossed over his face. He felt the warmth the light carried was familiar but foreign, and he couldn't pinpoint the source until the bursts of dazzling brightness faded to a level that a normal human could tolerate.

[This is the last thing I'm going to tell you for now,] Ddraig's voice echoed from somewhere far away. [It's not good news, but it's also not necessarily bad if you are prepared to deal with it.]

Issei put down his arms to see what was happening.

He heard noises. He heard the hustle and bustle that could only be said to belong to a large gathering, and he was reminded of the ground beneath his feet alongside the force of gravity.

The breath he inhaled was caught in his throat once he saw many people he did not know filled the room dyed by the light of a sunset. He saw men and women, children and adult…

There were a lot of people, but none of them seemed to be paying attention to each other. Issei felt their presence were weak, so utterly weak that they might as well be distant silhouettes yet he felt nostalgic upon laying his sight on them.

It was then a thought occurred to Issei.

[This is the hidden space residing deep within the Boosted Gear,] Ddraig whispered. [Make sure you carve this place into your memories, partner.]

Issei instinctively felt something was amiss and he wanted to move only to realize he couldn't. He didn't know why or even how, but he knew that the people before him were…

They were powerful. All of them, without any exception… They were all so ridiculously strong that Issei felt like an ant looking up at the world and the many monsters standing beyond his reach.

 _These people are—_

[They are the lingering thoughts of my previous Hosts.] Ddraig's voice reverberated like an echo inside Issei's skull. [You skipped a lot of stairs through your rampage, partner. Now we have to deal with the consequence somehow.]

After all...

[The Juggernaut Drive has been forcibly unlocked.]


	54. Interlude The Sheltered Flower

As the sun set, darkness filled the heavens. Only tiny orbs shone in the dark sky, and a girl gazed at the moon currently orbiting the planet.

No matter how many times the girl thought about it, she lacked a general understanding of the world at large. She was a flower preserved in the greenhouse; unable to know the rough winds or the pouring rain. Sometimes she wondered if she would spend the rest of her life like this, but she had long accepted her situation as 'It couldn't be helped.'

After she thanked the member of Taisha who had reported the movement of her subjects of interest, the girl stared up at the tall ceiling and looked down on herself.

She sighed, "Will this truly be alright…?"

The girl did not know. While she had obtained a vast amount of wisdom because of her role and privileges, she lacked the imagination and the experience to use it realistically. The girl might as well be dreaming, but…

"…If it can help ease everyone's pain…" The girl nodded. "Then, this must be the correct choice."

The man who raised a certain topic after the latest meeting had piqued her interests.

She could tell he was desperate. She also could tell that he represented those who felt the same way as he did. If left alone, he would create an uncontrollable ruckus, but his recklessness might as well doom him and cause him to lose everything important to him.

"…I have never thought that there are people that live like that."

Was it fascination that caused her to think about it? Was it confusion that made her question the lifestyle she had been born into? The girl did not know, but she at least understood something.

"To deny a destiny forced unto others, even if it's seen as selfish or even hopeless…" The girl breathed out. "…That is the correct answer, isn't it?"

Yes. That must be what she felt all this time. If not, she would not look down on her feet and she would not avert her eyes. Somewhere in her heart, she realized that she could not accept the reality before her eyes.

However, to change the world with mere words was absolutely impossible.

The girl lacked many things. She was inexperienced, flawed, and immature as a person. If someone was to point out every mistake she had made, then she would accept their accusations because they were correct. Despite that, her limited knowledge allowed her to think about the matter and it let her reach a logical conclusion as any other person could.

Once the girl changed her dress into her usual garbs, she left her bedchamber. The corridor she entered was long and narrow with the lighting given only by the paper lanterns. At some points, she saw red Toriis and charms meant to detect and ward off intruders. Some also had the purpose of preserving the entire foundation of the castle as well as purifying the Dragon Veins that lied beneath the land.

After a while, the narrow passage led to an open garden surrounded by stone walls. The girl entered the inner garden of Taisha's headquarters and she breathed out to relax her nerves.

"Good evening," she greeted with a polite bow. "I'm sorry for barging in at this kind of timing."

Someone like her could not possibly be allowed to live a normal life.

Her duty was an enormous burden that prioritized the peace and stability of the land she was born in. To ensure that she could fulfill her duty, she must part ways with her family from birth, spend her entire life in solitude, and dedicate herself as the spokesperson of the mighty existence in front of her.

Even so…

"Will you hear my first plea?" The girl craned her head up as she clasped her hands between her legs. "I am going to go against the teachings of many people who put their trusts in me. I will be taking a foolish decision and dictate how I live my life from now onward."

A breeze blew through the inner courtyard of the castle. This castle was once the place past Heroes had lived in. Their legacies had been stored in this castle, revered by the people and recorded within the new age's history. The girl witnessed petals of flowers scattering with the rustling leaves; it was as if the one who had accompanied her from birth urged her to continue on.

"...Thank you," said the girl. "Soon, I will permit a passage for the maidens who have fought and protected this world until now to this place. When they arrive, the Heavenly Dragon too will definitely be there to protect them, and I will tell them everything they wish to know. Yes, even if they decide that there is no point in protecting this world, I will still invite them and respect their decision."

 _And so_ , the girl emphasized.

"…My own wish is but a mere whim. You may not need to listen to it, you may disregard it." The girl's long blond hair fluttered in the soft breeze. "Even so…"

If it was allowed.

If her voice could reach someone and touch their heart…

"I hope that you will listen and act with their feelings under consideration." Kokudou Aya smiled as she looked up at the divine tree that had protected the people of this country for the past 300 years. "That is my wish, Shinju-sama."


	55. Chapter 46 - Avarice

Issei woke up when he realized he was hearing a faint sound of flowing water.

He breathed in, groaned as he breathed out and his vision slowly became clear upon getting adjusted to the lighting around him. He smelled old wood and saw a deep brown ceiling, so Issei concluded that he was in a room of some sort of wooden building.

 _...Where am I…?_

His question was not solved because when he tried to move and look around for an answer, he felt an extra weight holding his left arm in place. It was to the point that he had to focus a bit. Issei had a feeling that forcing his way out was the wrong thing to do.

... _Wait_ , the boy realized. _This feeling… am I sleeping on a futon?_

Indeed, he was lying on the floor wrapped in a thick blanket from the toes to the base of his neck. Beneath him, there was the soft and warm texture of a mattress only a futon would have, but his current situation caused him to be ignorant about what was pressuring his arm.

With the intention to know the hidden truth, Issei turned his head only to find the sleeping face of Yuuna.

"...Oh, it's Yuuna-chan."

 _…...Wait, what!?_

It took all of his efforts to not yell and react violently. Issei still opened his mouth but he slapped a hand – his right hand that was laid on his chest close to where his heart resided in – onto it and pressed against it so hard his head visibly trembled.

Of course, it wasn't like anybody was paying attention but Issei could sense himself being utterly shaken. His mind got blown so far away that a million thoughts raced only to crash into a jumbled mess.

...At least that was what convinced him to regain a semblance of self-control.

 _Anyway_. Issei tried his very best to not freak out. After a serious session of mental gymnastics, he wondered _why_ and _how_ did he end up having an adorably cute girl hugging his left arm as if it was a pillow. Did that also mean Yuuna had a habit of hugging something whenever she sleeps?

...The chance of it happening was so high Issei had to wonder why he raised a question about the likelihood on the very first place.

"...E-Even so… this is just…" Issei shook his shoulders a little in hopes of retrieving his left arm from the grips of his friend-slash-classmate-slash-neighbor. "...She's got one hell of a tight grip."

His latest investigation concluded that Yuuna would cling like a koala in her sleep, so Issei rejoiced over this ultra-rare experience and relished the moment like any normal teenage boy would. Tears welled up as Issei thanked whatever omnipotent being out there that made this occurrence happened; he would definitely, also- _freakin_ -lutely treasure this scene.

 _I'm gonna brag about this to Matsuda and Motohama!_

"...Nnn…"

 _Oh, shit!?_

Did he just spell his doom by thinking about something worthy of a huge Death Flag? Issei locked his jaws and shut his eyes tightly even though he knew what was going to happen, but after some time had passed, there was nothing like a _manga_ -like slapstick routine happening.

The boy slowly and carefully reopened his eyes, and…

"...Nnnh…" The red-haired girl next to him murmured with her eyebrows furrowed deeply. "Hh… mm…? Ah…"

Yuuna's eyelids fluttered open, revealing twin pool of red which matched the coloration of her hair. They looked tired, and Issei noticed the corners of her eyes were moist as if she had cried in her sleep.

However, all of his findings became irrelevant when the girl tightened her grip and scooted closer to his side.

"...Sen...pai…"

An electrifying sensation ran down Issei's spine.

It was such a surprise attack that it almost broke through every single mental defense he had put up like a battering ram striking at supersonic speed. Yuuna had fallen asleep again but the damage was done and now Issei had to suffer for taking the brunt of the attack.

 _This girl's dangerous…!_

Somebody would have retorted about Issei's assessment, but Ddraig was busy holding back the tide from consuming everything and Issei was still too mentally exhausted to even give an appropriate _tsukkomi_.

That being said, he recorded everything he had just experienced and saved it all in his permanent memory database.

 _But I have to hold myself back,_ Issei thought. _Yuuna-chan might not be talking about me and it's possible her dream is nothing like what I expected…!_

Yes, he must not make a move. He would love to flirt and make out with a very cute girl like Yuuna, but he was not a dumb jerk who would skip the ladders in developing relationships.

 _That's right, consensual act is always the best and NTR is a trash fetish!_

However, even a saintly pervert like Issei had a limit. After some time passed and after he decided that chanting a mantra alone wasn't enough, Issei turned his head to the other side without pushing Yuuna away. Not far from him was a row of futons, and they all had something underneath the blankets...

It was difficult to know for sure. There seemed to be no windows around, but Issei and his enhanced dragon senses could recognize those people's presences.

 _Wh-Why is everyone here…!?_

Since when did he participate in a sleepover with the girls? What had happened last night for this miracle to even happen in the first place? Or rather, did he die and now he was in heaven?

 _...No, wait, that doesn't sound good at all in retrospect. I wouldn't want the girls to immediately follow me to the afterlife if I died before them..._

Aside from that, he was indeed in a blissful situation. It was unfortunate that he was interrupted by a familiar presence standing outside of the room.

"...Ah," groaned Issei. "...Man, my luck sure is horrible."

He wished he could stay for a while, but it didn't look like he was allowed to. He knew his priorities and he wouldn't want to flip everything around and make things more complicated than they were.

In that sense, he had to leave or else he would not get what he truly desired.

After expelling a resigned sigh out of his mouth, Issei began to writhe around and left his friend's tight embrace. He made sure to not create a ruckus and it was a blessing-in-disguise that Yuuna turned out to be a heavy sleeper.

Once Issei left the futon, he readjusted the blanket to cover his dear friend properly. He watched her sleeping face, noted her practical taste in picking pajamas that properly covered her body and he nodded in approval.

 _She looks angelic,_ the boy honestly thought. _I have to protect this innocence too._

After psyching himself up with his latest discovery, Issei got up and headed toward the entrance. He could see in the dark now that he had inhuman senses and he was thankful for the night vision feature. _I would have stepped on Karin-chan's hair had I not have this._

Guided by the familiar presence, he left the building which turned out to be a rundown shrine and greeted the world that was still in utter darkness.

"Oh, it looks like I don't need to throw a rock at you." A rough voice resounded throughout the lake hidden by the cliffs, waterfalls, and thick shadows.

Issei felt the cold winds on his skins, heard the sounds of streaming water and saw the dancing fireflies under the stars and moon.

"Yeah, well…" Issei looked away before he could meet the stare of his battle instructor. "I won't let you disturb the girls. They deserve some rest after what they've gone through."

Judging from the position of the moon, dawn would probably arrive in several hours.

 _That means I can fight without any restraint_ , Issei thought. _I just need to pay attention so I won't be_ consumed _._

"You sure about that?" The person standing in front of the lake illuminated by the moonlight asked.

"Since they're here, they must have heard the same thing from you or from someone else." Issei glanced to the sky briefly. "...Not many know the truth, right?"

The man across of him nodded.

"True," said he. "That self-proclaimed goddess of yours spilled the beans, probably in hope that one of those brats would take action to prevent any more sacrifices."

"...So it's her…"

Issei felt conflicted now. He probably had an idea of why _she_ did that, but he wished _she_ could have told him in advance. Hell, he wouldn't even mind being lied to. After all, _that girl_ genuinely cared for those _she_ showed any affection to.

 _...Yet another thing to deal with after this, then._

"...Let's cut straight to the chase." Issei clenched his hands and leveled his gaze to his Instructor. "What can I do?"

The foreign Hero shrugged and raised his left hand.

"Toughen yourself up, but since the Gods are backing you up, we can go straight to the main subject." The man placed a hand on his waist. "What do you know about Balance Breaker?"

 _…Oh, that's the thing Ddraig just told me._

"It's a special feature of Sacred Gears," Issei answered. "I heard there's something wrong with the system that managed Sacred Gears so it ended up with the emergence of Longinus and the self-evolving feature to upgrade itself exponentially once the user reached a certain threshold."

His instructor snorted. "That's right. It's a bug that breaks preexisting laws, that's why it's called Balance Breaker."

 _And_ , the man added.

"This concept is yet another vital component of the Hero System."

Issei's eyes widened.

"As you can see, the power to adapt is what Vertexes are good at. They can grow stronger than Gods given enough time and experience, they can get smarter than humans, and they can execute any tactical scenario without remorse since they don't have hearts." Heracles nudged at the shrine behind Issei. "So what did the people here do to defeat these monsters?"

"...They used another self-evolving system to create a system specifically meant to counter Vertexes…" Issei breathed out. "That's crazy."

"But it works, so why not use it?"

That… was true.

Issei had to give Heracles that, and as much as he hated it, Taisha as well. If the Hero System was composed of various elements like what the Greek Champion claimed, that meant the people in charge of designing the Hero System were desperate enough to steal the works of other religions even if they had to face divine punishment.

However…

"Desperate doesn't mean you can resort to Human Sacrifice." Issei gritted his teeth. "No matter what excuse Taisha have, I will never accept their method of using my friends as if they're tools."

"Then what will you do?" Heracles asked back. "What can you do when you are so useless you couldn't even kill a weakened Vertex?"

 _...Well, if it's that…_

"Heracles," Issei said. "What do you know about Juggernaut Drive?"

A stifling silence occurred.

It was as if the nightlife was forcibly halted in the following moments. The chirping of the crickets died down, the fireflies fled from the air above the lake, and the wind stopped blowing. The stillness was put to an end by a rage-driven question.

"Have you gone insane?" The man spoke as if hissing and spilling deadly venom. "The way you are now, Balance Breaker is definitely within your reach. Why are you—"

"The Vertexes will come again, right?"

The boy's remark silenced the man. If anyone who was aware of what had happened between them yesterday, they would have thought the roles had been reversed.

They could never be farther than the truth.

"Somewhere out there, a lot of people are fighting for what they treasure." Issei stepped forward. "They might have even less than what the people here have. They must have lost a lot of things they cared about day by day."

 _But,_ he added.

"Even so, they still continue to fight for what they believed in, even though they knew it's hopeless." Issei inhaled. "I can't lose to them. I can't fall apart and hope that things will get better someway somehow. Plus, if I can prove to the world that I can succeed no matter what the odds…"

A red light encased his body. Issei felt a surge of power wrapping his entire being in the form of a scale mail, and he felt a furnace of strength from the core of his existence surging outwards.

 _This is my current strength,_ he thought with a confirmative nod. _This is the strength I gained from my efforts and the life force of this planet._

The boy raised his red gauntlet as he faced Heracles.

"That means something like a berserk switch is just a cheap knock-off of a dragon's greed."

* * *

The girl heard a voice.

It was strange. She must be dreaming since there was no way _that girl_ would be by her side anymore. The two of them had lost the bonds they once forged in the fated battle that ruined the Great Bridge, and their promise was held only by her alone.

Even so, she heard her voice in the medical room meant to enshrine her should her condition suddenly worsen.

"...Nnn?" Her left eye slowly opened. "...Wasshi…?"

It was hard to see.

The girl could identify her surroundings, but there were partitions in place to help sterilize the environment. _If I remembered correctly, those black-winged people were the ones who invented them…_

They were a strange bunch. The representative who threw the advertisement was a person personally recommended by the leader of the Kyoto Youkai Faction, but he threw a sales pitch worse than the people promoting healthy diet on a lifestyle channel.

 _He even winked at me and Aki-sensei,_ the girl recalled. _I think he got the wrong job, his personality suits a host more than an advertising agency._

"Excuse me…"

Interrupting her thoughts, the girl saw a guest accompanied by a member of Taisha. She recalled who was watching over her right now, stared at her guest, and then smiled a little.

"Coincidences really do happen…" The bedridden girl murmured.

Her guest made a confused sound while the Taisha attendant did not say anything. Still, that was fine for her.

 _This is fine,_ she thought. _This is alright._

"Hello again…" The girl gave a warm gaze. "Umm, Mimori-chan."

"...Was that the name of your friend?"

 _Oh, she ignored me,_ the bedridden girl thought. _Could it be…_

"...You can say that." The bedridden girl nodded. "Do you remember anything?"

The girl in a wheelchair could only respond by shaking her head.

"I cannot remember," she confessed. "But, I have a feeling this name 'Wasshi' you speak of is important and…"

 _And…_

"It is alright for you to call me that, Nogi-san."

With that, she felt as if a hole in her heart was filled. Even though the bedridden girl understood that her heart had ceased from beating ever since the fated battle two years ago, she felt as if she was truly alive and that her heart had gone aflutter with immense joy.

The girl did not know how long the bright smile she had stayed on her face.

When she realized it, the attendant had looked her away and silently retreated outside of the purifying partitions. _Ah... that's too bad…_

"...I'm sorry," the guest said after glancing at the near-transparent walls behind her. "I was hoping to talk to you, and before I knew it I was transported all the way here."

 _Aaahhh… so that's how she found this place._

"Shinju-sama must have allowed it. It is the nature of Gods to grant the wishes of us mortals, after all…"

"Yes, but… Even then, it does not return what you and I have lost."

 _...Oh, now she's depressed…_

"Don't worry," the girl in hospital robe said as she tried to lift her left hand. "In any age, sacrifices have always been treated kindly. We bear the impossibilities everyone shouldered, after all, so…"

 _So –_ was not a word she could continue.

No matter how you sliced it, her words might not sound like a reassurance. The girl before her was the same but she was definitely different. That was why; to even hope to convince her would be no different than giving excuses.

After all, words were already meaningless at this point.

"...I'm sorry," she apologized to her guest. "You are not here because you wish to chat, right? I understand your feelings, so… go on."

With her permission, the wheelchair-bound girl looked up and then hung her head. She stayed like that for several minutes, finally moving only after the hundredth beat of the monitoring device echoed and circled around the bed.

All the while the bedridden girl watched, and all the while her guest's gaze did not break away from hers. Upon arriving at a location that could be reached by an arm's length, Tougou Mimori spoke.

"Ever since we were returned to our town, I've researched many things."

"...I see, so you dug out your nonexistent past."

"I couldn't find much, however."

With an apologetic look, Tougou admitted the lack of significant result. However, it did not mean there was no result and anyone could tell it was far better than finding nothing at all.

That was why Nogi Sonoko let the wheelchair-bound girl continue and listened to what she wanted to say.

"I lacked memories from two years prior because of a car accident, but at the time, I possessed a different name," Tougou started. "Washio Sumi. That was my name, and it must be the name of the previous me who befriended you, Nogi-san."

Sonoko smiled bitterly. Not because she lamented over the fact that Tougou was speaking about herself as if she and Washio Sumi were two different people, but because of how harsh she judged herself if she considered it as necessary.

It was a familiar aspect of the girl once nicknamed 'Wasshi' – and it was a solid proof that Tougou Mimori retained some aspects of her past self even if she wasn't aware of it.

"...The Washio family holds a large influence in Taisha," Sonoko explained. "The heads of the family could not bear heirs, so they were troubled about it. But Wasshi, you hold a high aptitude to fulfill your duty as a Hero."

"That is why the Washio family took me in, then." Tougou pursed her lips. "My parents agreed to hand me over to them, and I went along with their decision because I believed I could become a Hero capable of protecting the country with that."

At the end of it, Tougou had displayed a fierce look as if she had eaten something bitter. She must have felt it distasteful, and Sonoko could not let her thoughts spiral downward.

"It was necessary for you to fulfill your duty, Wasshi. It couldn't be helped."

"...Yes. Even so…"

"Would you believe me if I said at that time, mankind was caught unprepared?" Sonoko tilted her head. "Back there, even with Mankai, all we could do was stall for time and drive the Vertexes away."

Without the knowledge that Vertexes could not be defeated their cores were destroyed.

Without the Sealing Ritual that had yet to be developed or even thought of by the higher-ups.

Without the sense of loss and urgency brought by the death of a Hero… there was simply no reason for Mankai and Sange to be developed.

That was why Sonoko believed there was no need for her friend to harbor a grudge. There was no need for her best friend to bear malice, and there was no use in bringing up what had already happened in the past.

Time would eventually wash away the stains in people's hearts, regardless of what everyone thought or even felt.

"...Even so," her dearest friend rebuked. "I… fought alongside you. I should have known you. I should have recognized you, but…!"

The black-haired girl's calm countenance shattered. Tears had slipped down and both of her hands which were on her lap trembled with undefined strength.

"...I used it," Tougou breathed out. "I must have used Mankai, and Sange took away the function of my legs and my memories. I lost the bonds I made with you, I forgot your name, your face, even your voice and this nickname you gave to me, and…"

 _And yet_ , Tougou repeated.

"...You still considered me your friend, believed that we will someday meet, and called me that nickname even though you know that I can no longer remember anything about you…"

 _...Ahh… so that is why…_

Sonoko heaved slowly and quietly. Her friend was so close that she could easily reach her. All she needed to do was lean her body to the side, extend her arm and comfort her.

 _...But, that is no longer possible…_

She was tired. After going through abscission 20 times, Sonoko had lost most of her body parts and functions. She could no longer feel the soft texture of gelato, she could no longer taste the deep flavors of udon, she couldn't see the world with both of her eyes and hug her friend with both of her arms, and she could no longer walk on her own two feet.

 _...The medication is taking effect..._

The only thing keeping her from going insane was the memories she had when she was together with her best friends. She recalled the fun days she had with her two friends, treasured the harsh training camp she had to go through, reminisced the passing of her tomboyish friend, and told herself to always remember the promise she made with her remaining friend.

 _These past two years have been very hard… it's so much harder than I thought..._

What was driving her to this length?

What was making her work so hard that she was somehow capable of retaining a semblance of self-control and sanity?

 _...What was the promise the three of us made...?_

Sonoko inhaled and closed her eye. "We are best friends forever – the three of us, Mino-san, Wasshi and me…"

As her consciousness drifted away, Nogi Sonoko reached out and touched the head of her friend. She heard a voice, saw a surprise-filled gaze, and her left hand drifted down to land on her friend's hands.

The girl who had lost her happiness held them tight so as to never let them go for the second time.

"Forever and ever… always… even if there's only one of us left…" Sonoko smiled. "...We will always be together."


	56. Chapter 47 - Truth

"Please come in, Mimori-sama. You have no need to worry about anyone finding you here."

Guided by Sonoko's attendant, Tougou moved her wheelchair into a spacious room in the Marugame castle. At first, she was suspicious since the offer came straight out of nowhere, but she could not discuss what she wanted to with Sonoko resting.

 _I'll still have to keep my guard up,_ the girl thought. _I have to because this person is one of those who has decided to deceive my friends._

"...I'd like to know something," Tougou said as she moved to the center of the room while the attendant lit up the lamps installed in the corners. "Even though Heroes are immortals, why does Nogi-san have to be treated like a sickly patient?"

The attendant did not pause in her movement. She organized the room as if she knew what she was doing, and that made Tougou suspect that this room might be her workspace. _This castle can certainly be said as the headquarters of Taisha, after all…_

"It is necessary because the divine power the Heroes borrow during Mankai work in a peculiar way." The attendant explained after she finished her task, "Three hundred years ago, the ancestor of the Uesato family – Uesato Hinata-sama – declared that Mankai is too dangerous and potent for even a Hero with the highest aptitude to use."

"...Why is that?"

"We will have to talk about what it means to borrow the power of the Gods first. Is that alright for you?"

...At this point, to talk around in circles would do nothing. Tougou reminded herself that she had her own priorities and she could not lose her way. _I have to find a clear answer, both for myself and for everyone._

"I wish to know the truth," Tougou said. "There is no need for you to be considerate."

"...Is that so…? Very well then."

After hearing her answer, the attendant led Tougou to a rectangular table with a tea set prepared. It was sitting next to the opened windows that faced the Seto Inland Sea, but dawn would break in an hour and a half so she could only see dark expanse stretching as far as she could see. Only a single burning candle helped illuminate the room.

Once Tougou settled on one side of the table, the Taisha agent pulled out a chair and sat down on the opposite side.

"To begin with, Mankai is a last resort given by the King of the Land Gods to the Heroes," the masked woman started. "It is a powerful weapon utilizing the Conceptual Records Shinju-sama possesses. By accessing the vast record that contains any and every wisdom available throughout the world's history, a Hero is capable of drawing out a mighty power that surpassed universal laws."

"...That is… quite a big statement."

If she was amused, the attendant did not show it. She was perfectly calm like a still lake as if she was reciting a lesson. It might also be that she was a person who had cast aside her emotions for the sake of her duty.

 _...But I can't judge her so early._

Tougou would not want to hold prejudices; that would cloud her final judgment in dealing with the truth she was searching for. It was best for her to know more, have the attendant lay out everything she could learn, and then demand what she truly wanted.

Thus the wheelchair-bound girl let the attendant continue. The woman easily complied with a nod since she didn't know what Tougou was planning.

"At first, Mankai worked by letting a copy of a recorded Ancestral Spirit or Demon possess the Hero," the attendant paused. "Mimori-sama, what do you know of spirit possession?"

"Is it… similar to a shamanic ritual?"

The response Tougou obtained was a nod, but she could hardly feel pleased with it. For some reasons, she had a feeling that what she was about to find would be unpleasant.

"Indeed. Shrine Maidens, priests, and druids are often known to exhibit illogical power when they committed a possession ritual." The attendant raised her hand. "The Oracle given by Miko-sama works the same, and Mankai also works under the same principles, although the basic foundation of Hero System is built from a different one."

 _However,_ added the woman.

"By letting your body possessed by a spirit, it is no different than offering a part of yourself to house a God in your body. The act of possession itself is as dangerous as dipping half of your existence into the underworld where spirits, demons, and gods live in; just like enacting a curse."

 _...Then,_ Tougou's thought came to a screeching halt. _The reason why Mankai is considered a forbidden technique…_

"The consequence of spirit possession may result in the destruction of one's mind." The attendant breathed out. "That was why Mankai was considered a forbidden technique."

* * *

As morning approached, the sky lost its darker shades and paled into blue coloration.

It was unnoticeable if one would not pay close attention to it. After all, the change happened gradually and even the darkest of the night had an end.

It was then a person crashed down after he floated a kilometer high above the grounds. He made several solid thuds, tumbled across uneven grounds and rolled to a stop with white smokes rising from his entire body.

"Ugh," a battered and bloodied Issei muttered. "...That was… hellish."

"But you still kept yourself conscious, so stop complaining. It's a huge progress even though not even a day has passed."

Issei rolled his eyes upward and saw his instructor through an upside-down lens. The boy grunted in mild frustration.

"I. Fucking. Hate. You."

Heracles raised a hand. "Want another go, then? That was a good exercise, by the way."

 _That wasn't an exercise you battle junkie,_ Issei cursed internally. _You seriously attacked without restraints! Do you have some grudge against me?_

"Well, whatever. The next session will be after lunch." Heracles turned his back on Issei and walked off. "Good luck talking with that dried up tree."

"...Huh?"

When he blinked, space distorted as if the world glitched.

Issei felt himself floating, freed from gravity as seconds went by. He saw the dark blue sky and from the corners of his eyes, he spotted a line of light beginning to rise.

"Ooh…" Issei reflexively muttered out.

In the following moment, gravity pulled him down and he fell into the familiar lake surrounded by waterfalls and steep cliffs.

"Gwah!?" Issei flailed in the water. "Abhfg…! Gah! It's cold…!?"

Of course, it was. The lake was made from natural spring water and the weather was chilly because of the rain from yesterday. Despite being an existence closer to a dragon than of a human, Issei had a higher cold resistance but, well…

"Ghh. suddenly throwing me into cold water right after I fought like mad…" The boy sighed. "Gimme a break already…"

Issei regained his composure and he sighed as he sat in lotus position on the lake. The water reached up to his collarbones because of the location he was in, but he didn't mind it too much. What was important was…

"Talking with the tree…?" Issei tilted his head. "Could it be…"

As his thought swirled, he heard a familiar voice reaching out from far behind him. The boy turned around and he saw a girl standing on the shore of the lake while waving her right hand. He also noticed there was another girl exiting the rundown shrine and approaching her.

"Yuuna-chan? Karin-chan?" Issei stood up and walked toward his friends. "Hey! Morning! What are you two doing?"

"That should be my question," Karin responded with a huff. "Why are you on the lake with your clothes on?"

 _Eh,_ Issei thought as he looked down at the damaged and drenched school uniform. _Well, how should I say it…?_

"…I trained and got thrown in here after I was done." Issei rubbed the nape of his neck. "It's okay, I won't catch a cold so easily now."

Karin frowned as if she was suspecting something. She didn't look like she believed in what Issei said, though that was understandable. Issei had no proof except the damaged school uniform he wore.

 _Now that I think about it, I haven't changed my clothes since yesterday…_

He hoped the girls did not notice his body odors. Issei wouldn't say he was smelly since he was paying attention to that point ever since spring arrived, but he had exercised like mad and he had rolled around mud and dirt and whatever else was on the forest's grounds.

 _…Just in case, I'll put a little distance between us._

"Umm," Yuuna muttered out and drew the attention of her friends. "Ise-senpai, are you… okay?"

The boy tilted his head. What was Yuuna talking about? Did he do something – _Oh, yeah, Sonoko already told her..._

The situation had suddenly become more complicated than it was just now. Issei wondered what he should say for a moment, but...

"I'm fine," the boy said with a nod. "I think I can manage. I can't fix the past, but I can look forward to the future with better preparation."

Both Yuuna and Karin looked confused. The former slowly grasped the meaning behind his answer while the latter...

"What do you mean by that?" Karin asked. "What are you two talking about? Or rather, why do things keep happening without any reason whatsoever? And who the hell was that guy from yesterday?"

As Yuuna grimaced, Issei realized that there was indeed something off with the situation. However, Karin's bluntness let the fog in his mind clear up and he was grateful for that.

 _She's just like her,_ Issei thought. _I wonder what that girl's doing now._

As he pictured the smile of the Hero clad in red and the two giant battle axes she wielded, Issei looked up to the sky.

"...Hmm?" The boy suddenly muttered and looked over his shoulder.

His actions prompted questions from his friends, but his gaze was glued to the stone Torii. His senses as a dragon tingled as if he was being pulled by a string, yet it wasn't something so noticeable or even sudden. It was like someone was suggesting him to look through a peephole to the girls changing room…

As the boy wondered what the hell his mind was coming up with, he turned to face the stone Torii – only to see space rippling beneath the _nuki_. His eyes rounded up like saucers as he detected a foreign element intruding into the environment…

And appearing out of thin air was a small girl in white and red garb.

"Huh?!" Yuuna gasped. "A-A person…?"

"...That's…" Karin creased her eyebrows. "That's the insignia of a high-ranked member of Taisha. And that dress… is she the _Miko?!_ "

The young girl who might as well be no older than Itsuki landed her feet on the flat limestone. The girl said to be the Shrine Maiden surveyed the environment for a dozen seconds before she finally landed her eyes on Issei and his friends.

 _...Huh,_ Issei thought. _Did I just see awe glittering in her eyes when she looked around the place?_

Unaware of his stray thoughts, the young girl politely bowed down.

"Good morning, esteemed Heroes and chosen host of the Heavenly Dragon Ddraig," the girl greeted with a voice containing a smile. "It is a pleasure to meet you all. My name is Kokudou Aya."

Without beating around the bush, the girl introduced herself, raised her head and shifted her expression into one filled with solemnness.

"I would like to discuss so many things at great length with all of you, but time is short and I do not have many opportunities even with my authority." The girl placed her right hand on her chest. "If you don't mind, can you wake up the remaining Heroes? There is something I must inform you all."

* * *

Time trickled and the kettle whistled.

Tougou observed the attendant filling the teapot with hot water. Her movement was refined and practiced, but she realized that there was sluggishness in that form.

It was as if the woman was exhausted.

"Continuing from before." The attendant placed back the kettle, brought the teapot in her hands and poured a brownish liquid into the mug sitting on the table in front of Tougou. "When the knowledge of Mankai was declared a taboo and must be sealed, at the time, Vertexes were no longer sighted. Days passed, seasons replaced one after another, and almost three hundred years went by in peace."

"...But they reappeared two years ago," Tougou remarked. "I was a Hero back then. I fought together with Nogi-san… but, there should be another person, right?"

The attendant looked briefly at her. It was as if she said something wrong, but the gaze held by the woman did not have any malice and Tougou felt as if she was concerned. It was only for a moment so she quickly dismissed it as her overthinking about something yet again, but…

"At the time, there were indeed three Heroes in active duty," the attendant explained once she sat down again. "Mimori-sama, you participated as one of those Heroes, but you back then could be said to be a completely different person."

"...Is my previous self truly that different?"

Although her question was rhetorical, the member of Taisha bobbed her head deeply. That made her uncomfortable and it prompted Tougou to push the anxiety down with tea.

"You were strict to anyone that you could hardly get along with." A sigh leaked through the white mask carved with the motifs of a tree. "You tended to overthink and overdo it when you were absorbed in something or someone, you made it a habit to force everyone to follow your lead, and you also had the tendency of being a… let's just say that some students have less than favorable opinions of you because of that."

For some reasons, the mood was turning sour. It was strange, and it was surprising. However, Tougou couldn't refute any of the statement as she felt like she was in the wrong somehow.

 _W-Why does this feel familiar…?_

"While having a spirit that loves the nation is a good thing, you always went overboard, and it seems to be the one thing that still persisted on existing." The attendant's glare metaphorically bore through her mask and pierced through Tougou's mental defenses. "Please show some consideration to other people."

The girl could do nothing other than averting her eyes away now.

* * *

Sounds of footsteps echoed throughout a narrow enclosed passage.

It was a stone corridor often seen on the ground floor of a castle. Issei recalled the layout of Marugame castle which was drilled into his head by Tougou for the sake of a history test, but he didn't know there was a part of the castle which had Toriis lined together as the replacement for foundation pillars.

"...Say, Aya-chan, where are we going?"

The boy asked the Shrine Maiden who had been guiding him and his friends through the passage, but he could only hear a soft giggle from her. She sounded amused, but hastily concealed it by clearing her throat when she noticed what she was doing.

"Umm," the girl with long blond hair muttered. "This is the passage that will lead us to Shinju-sama's living space. Only a few are allowed to use this passage, much less reaching that place, but Heroes such as Sonoko-sama and Sumi-sama went through this passage after gaining their Fairies."

 _Huh, is that how it is…?_ Issei was never interested in whatever Taisha did prior to his involvement, but he supposed he couldn't let himself be as ignorant as before. He also took note of Sonoko having gone through the passage and the name 'Sumi' appeared yet again.

 _...I wonder when Sonoko-chan will tell me her history with this old friend of hers._

"But…" Yuuna's voice echoed from behind his back. "Kokudou-san, is that why you told us to do that cleansing ritual?"

"'Aya' is fine, Yuuki-senpai," the Shrine Maiden said as she glanced back at Yuuna. "In my eyes, everyone is my senior. It can also be said that you all are more experienced than I can ever be."

"...Experienced? In what way?" Issei asked.

Aya beamed. "In life, of course."

 _...This girl has a way of saying deep stuff…_

Issei didn't know what kind of upbringing the petite girl who was as tall as Itsuki had, but he could at least tell that birds of the same feather flock together. In that sense, he was labeling Aya as a strange person indiscriminately, but…

 _Be it the girls of Hero Club, Sonoko-chan, or even_ me _, kids these days are all weirdos._

…That actually didn't sound as good as he hoped for. The future prospect of this country seemed to be bleaker than Issei initially thought if the younger generations were all freaks of nature.

"...Hmm?" Aya suddenly paused in her steps for a moment and stared at a pillar. "That was strange…"

"What is it, Aya-chan?" Issei asked.

"Well, the charm that detects a person with rude intention suddenly went off but now it's back to normal." Aya tilted her head. "Shinju-sama is personally in charge of controlling the charms scattered throughout this castle, so I wonder why a single charm malfunctioned…"

 _...Wait, is she saying the Gods read my mind just now? Did I just dodge divine punishment?!_

"Oh, now the repentance charm is activated. It looks like the person has been forgiven."

 _They did! They know what I'm thinking…! Gods know my sin and forgave me for being rude…!_

While Issei freaked out internally, Fuu who walked a little further ahead of him raised a hand.

"Uhh… this has been quite an exciting development, but…" The girl trailed off. "I would like to know why _the_ Miko is personally here to accompany us. What business do you have with us…?"

"And where is Tougou?" Karin huffed. "I have a feeling something is fishy but I haven't gotten any answer until now. Not to mention… I have a hunch even _my friends_ are all hiding something from me."

Like that, Yuuna and Fuu squeaked all of a sudden. They must not have expected the bomb, unlike Issei, though it still drew a bitter smile from him.

"Now now," the only boy in the group said. "Karin-chan, I know your feeling but… I'm sure Tougou-san is alright."

"…That would have been convincing had someone else answered my question."

"Ouch!?" Issei feigned a pained look. "Am I that untrustworthy?"

Karin rolled her eyes to the side. "No, your arguments always have no basis, just like Yuuna's."

With that, Issei joined his depressed friends with a groan. From the side, Itsuki smiled bitterly and raised a comforting message but it was difficult since the patients had differing thoughts and feelings about their issues.

"If you'd like to know everything, then I will do my best to answer your expectation." Aya suddenly said.

 _Eh?!_ Issei nearly whipped his head back to the girl in an oversized priestess garb. _For real?!_

"There is nothing to be worried about." Aya paced forward with unchanging rhythm. "No one can lie in the presence of Shinju-sama. Your thoughts and feelings are always known and your whims will be granted as long as they are properly conveyed. Not even Taisha can override the authority of the Gods who decided to side with humanity."

 _So,_ the Shrine Maiden emphasized.

"What do you seek? What truth do you wish to pursue, and what conclusion will you reach upon understanding it?" Kokudou Aya said, "I may lack many things, but I will answer your questions as adequately as I can."

With that, a solemn silence descended in the narrow passage. No one was capable of speaking, and the Heroes and the host of the Heavenly Dragon looked down to the floor as if searching for their words.

Before long, one of them raised her head as if having decided the course of action she wished to take. Holding the hand of her younger sister and staring at the back of the Shrine Maiden, a girl announced her intention.

"Then," Fuu said. "I want to know the truth. About our role as Heroes, about our war against the Vertexes, the Hero System… and the Mankai and Sange features which will inevitably turn us into offerings to the Gods."

The girl took a deep breath in.

"First… why is there a need to use a system that requires such great sacrifices?"

* * *

The sun had risen.

As the Walls shone by the light of the dawn, the sky was turning brighter and Tougou heard life roaring from the town.

"…Setting that aside…" Tougou put back the teacup on the table. "...If Mankai was sealed before, why is it in use now?"

She had calmed down somewhat after the predicament she found herself in. It was a surprise attack without any chance to counter as she did not know she had such a shameful past. More than anything, she also didn't expect the attendant before her to be a person that knew her previous self.

 _The world is always full of surprises…_

However, she couldn't let herself be drowned by the flow. She couldn't just let herself be swayed by other people's words and actions without pronouncing her own demands.

 _If I have to be selfish to gain something,_ Tougou thought. _Then I have to show that I have a will of my own first._

"Are you sure, Mimori-sama?" The attendant asked.

"Please don't tease me…" Tougou pleaded.

"I wasn't intending to, though."

 _But you sounded as if you're venting your frustration…_ Tougou wasn't sure of her ability in judging people but she could tell that the attendant was being petty. _Just what did I do to her…?_

She had to know more after this. In any case, returning back to the main topic was necessary, and Tougou gathered her mind to focus on the information she had collected so far.

 _If Mankai was considered a taboo, why use it again?_

It was clear to anyone that there were less to be gained in using Mankai, and Sange acted under the principle of offering human sacrifices to the Gods for greater divine blessings. In terms of benefit, it would not hold out for long and even if there was a Hero who didn't mind offering themselves, the end result would be no different than what Nogi Sonoko had become.

Unless there was something more to gain from this ritual, there was just no point in doing it. Why bother hiding the truth? Why would you keep on using a flawed system that will eventually give zero results? What could possibly be gained in making Heroes immortals while taking away their capability to live like normal people? What was the true purpose of Mankai and Sange…?

Tougou gasped. "...Could it be—"

"It is unknown what will happen should a Hero offer everything they have through Mankai," the attendant swiftly interrupted as if she knew what Tougou was thinking. "In theory, the Hero in question should become a complete Living God, but the loss of body parts may mean that they will first have to shed their mortality and identity as both a human and a person step-by-step."

The woman's words sent chills down the girl's spine. It was detached, cold and distant as if hearing a narrator reading a script with a lack of expression. There was no exaggeration, no sophistry, no joy or anger, and there was no such thing as empathy or even sympathy.

 _This is..._

The attendant was implying that to achieve godhood, the Hero must first abandon all that they have, be it bodily functions to spirit, mind, and even memories. The attendant might as well be telling Tougou and her friends to perish and be reborn as existences that transcended existing physical laws through the act of sacrificing oneself.

"...But… why?" Tougou swallowed a lump in her throat as she asked. "Why do you all insist on implementing Mankai to the Hero System? Why go to such length?"

Why would you not care that you sent children to a war the world would never know?

Why would you hide the truth from those children fighting for you and everyone?

Why would you keep deceiving and act as if it was not a concern to anyone?

"Mimori-sama," the attendant called out. "Please, do consider Sonoko-sama's words. Please remember the 'promise' she said."

Tougou stared at the mask-wearing woman. She could not trust her. She could not believe that the attendant was trying to truly face her. For all that she knew, what Tougou felt and thought was no different than a child throwing tantrums.

Even so, Tougou considered her words and recollected her memories. She recalled what she had talked about with Sonoko, what she was informed of, and finally…

"She… Nogi-san said that 'the three of us are best friends forever'..." Tougou held her breath. "The, three of us…?"

Two years ago, three Heroes were on active duty.

Tougou did not know what happened back there. She had no recollection and the best guesses she could arrive at were all because of her effort in piecing the clues together.

However, she could not come up with a better way of explaining what the attendant had told her. Why? Was the clue too little?

 _...No. That is not it._

"...It can't be…" Tougou looked up to the agent of Taisha. "...The reason Mankai is in use again, and even developed in such a way…"

As her mind reached the answer she never thought she would ever wish to arrive at, the attendant nodded.

"...Two years ago," she said. "Mimori-sama, you befriended two people who were fellow Heroes and you fought together with them, fulfilling your duty with diligence and spirit."

However, something happened.

Something urgent must have happened, and it happened to the Heroes. With that as the main reason, Taisha was driven to lift off the ban on Mankai and implemented it alongside Sange and Fairy's protection. It must have been a desperate maneuver meant to counteract a great danger, and the only reason why immortality became the answer was…

"On a certain day during the summer two years ago, a great battle was fought on the Seto Great Bridge," the attendant said. "The first great battle happened because the Vertexes at the time suddenly attacked by using tactic on an unprecedented level. Sonoko-sama and you, Mimori-sama, were seriously injured. In order to halt the advance of three Vertexes, the third Hero fought and fought until she succumbed to her wounds."

Tougou moved her hands to cover her lips. She gasped as if choking on air as her heart pounded, and yet as if ignoring it all, the attendant sitting across of her spelled out the truth.

"That Hero was your friend and classmate, Minowa Gin-sama. Her death became the catalyst for Taisha to develop the current version of Hero System, and by extension, the current Mankai feature as well."


	57. Chapter 48 - Treachery

Sometimes, there are words that can only be said when a rare opportunity arises.

Morning was here, the sunlight was warm and it was thankfully not glaring.

Heracles considered the current weather as a fine blessing. He had finished up early so he gained a lot of free time, though he has yet to eat breakfast at all. _I mean, seriously, I can hardly use my remaining strength to activate Balance Breaker now._

It was a troubling matter but it wasn't so high on his priority list. The man was walking through the relatively empty streets when he came across a woman sweeping the road in front of a house. Judging from the opened fences and the name plate, he easily identified her as someone he knew but had never met or even talked to before.

It was a stranger, but it wasn't really a nice feeling to know since he trashed her child every time they met.

"Oh?" The woman, having noticed his presence, looked up and smiled in his direction. "Good morning. May I help you?"

The man blinked before he processed the situation. His brain was admittedly slow when it was still six in the morning, so he waited a bit until his mouth produced words.

"No, it's nothing." He waved at the woman with gold blond and black hair. "It's just…"

What? What was he going to say? Was he an idiot?

...Yes, he probably was, but whatever. It wasn't like he would lose anything and from what he had gathered the woman knew of their world. Otherwise, she would have been wary of a foreigner whose stature dwarfed her by several times suddenly appearing out of nowhere.

"...So," the man paused and looked to the two-storey house. "Is this your house?"

What was he supposed to say?

"...It lacks personality."

The woman laughed without any restraint. She had aged somewhat but her expression was full of vigor and her voice lacked the delay an elderly would have. She must be taking care of herself really well.

 _Maybe that's where that brat get his tenacity from,_ the man realized. _So they really are blood-related._

Even so, he had no interest in her and he wasn't Zeus; only an asshole would want to be a piece of shit like him. _Also, who cares about romance! I've got something more important to do like saving the world!_

"Well, we haven't been here for long," the woman agreed. "My husband wants to repaint it and do some reconstruction, but it's hard to say to what length we should go in modifying the house."

As she placed a hand on her cheek, the woman sighed as if troubled. However, she didn't look like she thought of it as an actual problem.

She was smiling, after all.

"...Is life here that fun?" The man inadvertently asked.

He didn't know about the whole business behind the brat's back, but he doubt it was good considering the fates of most Sacred Gear users. He recalled the members of the Hero Faction and he noted the puppets used by the Old Satan Faction.

 _...People like us would always attract troubles wherever we go to._

Much to his surprise, the woman did not drop her smile.

"I don't know. It's difficult to say," she said. "But… my son has decided what he wants to do and my husband has chosen what path he must take to ensure our child's future. It makes me a little sad; I do not really understand this 'passion' men always talk about."

 _However,_ the woman said.

"Even with all the ups and downs… I believe that I have chosen the right path. This is definitely the path where I will never be bogged down by regrets or even past mistakes." Hyoudou Kanae smiled. "I suppose that is a form of a fulfilling life, no?"

...As he observed the woman's expression, the man eventually grunted and shook his head. He walked past her, striding away in silence, but while he was still in earshot…

"Your kid is shaping up into a man," he said. "You should be proud of him."

As he went further and further away, he was no longer in an appropriate range for him to hear a response. The winds blew as something vague traveled through the air, and yet he was sure he had heard words full of joy.

"...Honestly," the man sighed. "I've become way too soft."

Still, it might be a welcome change. He didn't feel annoyed and he didn't feel sour about the deed he had done. At the very least, his footsteps felt slightly lighter than before.

"Oh, right. I completely forgot about _those_ _idiots_."

Since he was in town, he might as well check what the fools were doing. Most of them were weird but they weren't as cracked as—

"...Hm?" The man looked up to the sky, spotting a flat white bird crossing through the sky. "...What is that?"

As he wondered about what the thing was, he felt something intruding his mind and he halted his steps. His eyes narrowed, his right hand moved to cover his right ear and he glanced around for a moment before he opened his mouth.

"...Georg?" Heracles frowned. "What is it? I've already sent you the data of this country's System as preliminary sample…"

A short silence stretched, then the man's eyes widened.

"...You're kidding." Heracles looked up to the sky where the white bird had been spotted a moment earlier. "Order to pull back? What in the bloody hell are you—"

Suddenly he sensed an alarming presence that made him turn around with his left arm swinging.

However, there was nothing there.

The street was empty, but the town's life began to flourish. He heard the sounds of people chattering, he heard a car engine running in the distance and he saw people exiting their homes to begin their daily activities.

In the midst of it all, Heracles couldn't shake the shockingly _familiar_ presence that had tried to sneak up on him from his mind.

 _...What was that, just now…?_

* * *

In the narrow stone passage, one of the Hero Club members slowed down.

Yuuna looked back and asked, "Ise-senpai? What's wrong?"

Her friends and the Shrine Maiden seemed to have heard her voice as they too stopped walking. Even so, the boy who had his face hidden by hanging his head down looked up and formed a thin smile.

"...No," Issei said. "It's nothing, Yuuna-chan."

He strode past her and patted her shoulder. He added 'Let's get going' but Yuuna felt there was something off with the tone of his voice.

Why was her instinct calling Issei a liar? Yuuna wanted to voice her concerns but she decided to let that be as the group reached the end of the passage.

Light burst and shone down through dry branches. Yuuna smelled the scent of flowers in the air, and the first thing she recognized was a place that could only be said to be an inner garden within a building.

Stone walls surrounded the place in all four directions. There were two passages which might mean the one they had gone through was the entrance and the other being the exit.

When she looked up, she saw the interiors of a castle. She couldn't be one hundred percent sure but she thought the design of the castle reminded her of one of the best historical sites Tougou often recommended the club to go to.

"Welcome," Aya announced as she stood before a giant glowing tree. "This is Shinju-sama's living space. And this is Shinju-sama."

The branches rustled even though there was no wind. Yuuna felt it was odd but for some reasons a gentle breeze blew as if heeding the movement of the tree radiating with brilliant light.

 _It's so bright,_ the girl thought. _Is this the power of Shinju-sama?_

Everyone was, for the lack of better words, stunned speechless. However, it might not be wrong to say they were entranced as well; the presence of the divine tree was too much to handle even with proper preparation.

 _Maybe that's how Shinju-sama is,_ Yuuna's thought deepened. _Maybe this is how it gathered the strength and manpower needed to protect this country until now._

Yuuna eventually broke out from her stupor. She reminded herself what she had heard, and her friends seemed to have shaken themselves out from being shell-shocked one after another. Both the Heroes and the Sacred Gear user looked at the tree, but then their attention was gradually drawn to Kokudou Aya.

"...Allow me to reiterate," the Shrine Maiden said. "The current Mankai is based on a prototype once sealed by the founding members of Taisha. To prevent the loss of Heroes similar to what happened to Minowa Gin-sama, Taisha modified the Hero System by creating a dummy terminal of the beings harboring the power to initiate Mankai."

"Dummy terminal…" Yuuna gasped as two small floating animals suddenly appeared from thin air. "Gyuuki! Kasha…!"

As the Heroes' Fairies emerged one-by-one, Aya nodded and formed a thin smile.

"Those Fairies are copies of actual Spirits and Demons that once inhabited this land. I'm sure you have heard of legends and stories about Youkai." Aya continued, "Combined with the energy of the leylines and Shinju-sama's divine power, Heroes become capable of harnessing unimaginable strength, be it for defensive or for offensive purposes, without having to risk the destruction of their minds."

"...But, in exchange…" Fuu inhaled. "Heroes can never die."

"That is because Taisha does not wish for the Heroes to die." Aya's smile faltered. "...However, this might be nothing more than sophistry to you all."

As the girl looked at the Hero Club briefly, her gaze finally settled on Issei.

Yuuna noticed how the boy reacted to that by looking back at her. There was a moment of silence, and the girl suddenly looked behind her back, staring at the collective of Land Gods.

As if she had exchanged words and agreed on something, Aya nodded down. She turned her head once again to view at her guests and she closed her eyes.

" _Listen, our distant descendant_ s, _and host of the Heavenly Dragon._ "

A powerful voice intruded everyone's head. It was sudden while carrying enormous pressure that the voice – though similar to Aya's – held a clear dissonance that easily caused everyone to realize it was not hers.

Yuuna could only stare in disbelief as the expressionless Aya opened her lips.

" _The power bequeathed to the Heroes is a double-edged sword. It protects, it will allow you to overcome the trials presented to you, but it cannot save for it is a weapon meant to be used against those who stand at the apex._ "

When she reopened her eyes, the girl's dull eyes did not blink. Those brown eyes that once held excessive vigor, gentleness and warmth had long vanished. They did not even reflect anything they caught in sight, as if they were seeing nothing yet perceiving everything.

It was a hollow gaze devoid of humanity.

" _A flower blooms and then withers,_ " the Shrine Maiden said. " _As it displays its brilliance, it will also begin its time of decline with the petals wilting and eventually scattering._ "

What she said was a rule; a concept.

It was something from which Mankai and Sange were derived from. As nature took course, life flourished and then perished. Regardless of it meeting an untimely demise or dying from reaching the end of its lifespan, that was simply how the world worked.

However…

"Why...!?" Fuu raised her voice. "We didn't do anything wrong! We fought to protect the world, we fought for everyone, and yet… at the end of it all, why are we being sacrificed?! What kind of God are you to allow Human Sacrifices!?"

The girl's hoarse voice reverberated throughout the garden. Her question and accusation poured out from the depth of her heart and she demanded for the truth even if she had to ignore how she looked.

Despite that, the answer given to her was—

" _Our time is coming to an end._ "

* * *

"What… do you mean by that?"

For the third time, Tougou's cup was refilled and the attendant took her time in answering her question.

"Shinju-sama is a conglomeration of Gods," the masked woman said. "But most of them are made up of the Land Gods of this country which are tremendously different than those residing in Takama-ga-hara."

Tougou tried to process the attendant's explanation, but was unable to comprehend it enough that she could make a theory with plausible foundation.

"...What, does that mean…?" Tougou asked.

"In other words, the Land Gods are running out of power to keep on protecting this country."

A freezing chill filled the air.

Tougou was about to hold the teacup in both of her hands when she heard the attendant's words. She almost thought she misheard the woman, but her rational side took control and told her that no, she did not mistake it.

"...How could that be…?" Tougou breathed out. "The Gods are... they are powerful beings surpassing mortals, right? How could they possibly—"

A voice whispered into her heart.

 _No,_ it said. _There's a way to reduce the power of the Gods._

For a human, power could be said to be their capacity in executing an action. The capacity could be refilled through resting and eating food, and it could be increased through training and expanding one's wisdom.

However, that capacity was not infinite.

Executing an action saps one's stamina. A person could exercise as much as they wanted to but their body wouldn't last more than several hours.

 _If Gods are similar to humans in such way, then…_

"Shinju-sama is supporting this country by expending valuable resources at every second, every minutes, every hour, and every day. Even the air we are breathing now comes from the environment maintained by Shinju-sama." The attendant craned her head and slowly turned it to face the window. "If that is the only case, it would have been fine. Even so, the issue isn't just the resources the people use."

"...The Vertexes…" Tougou deduced. "In order to defeat them, chosen Heroes blessed by Shinju-sama are necessary, but only a few may be enlisted in active duty."

The girl paused. Her thoughts spun and she came to a possibility.

"...There can only be a few Heroes deployed because Shinju-sama can only provide so much energy without endangering the country…"

How much power does the divine tree have right now?

How much power could the divine tree provide until it would no longer be capable of supporting the country?

How much power was left in its reservoirs after the Heroes borrowed a large sum of it though several usages of Mankai?

"We are fighting a siege battle, Mimori-sama." The attendant placed both of her elbows on the table and clasped her hands together. "Our resources are limited, the combat assets we can use require a high price and the enemies continue to appear one after another. To compensate the losses, Taisha proposes several methods."

The woman raised her right index finger.

"The first is gathering people's Faith through religious ceremonies, prayers, and whatnot." A right middle finger was raised next. "The second is trivial things such as small offerings and other minor things. Then, the third and last method is…"

As the woman raised her right ring finger, Tougou finally caught the hints and her eyes widened to the limits.

"...Could it be…" The black-haired girl gasped. "Is that why Sange is implemented in the Hero System!?"

* * *

Issei looked up to the girl speaking as the voice of the Gods.

He felt restless. His body was tense and something inside him was roaring out as if wanting to break free. He also couldn't stop returning his focus to what he had heard, but...

[...Hah, looks like I'm getting old.]

A familiar voice suddenly appeared.

Issei honestly thought the guy was late to the party but it wasn't like Ddraig was simply lazing around. The dragon linked to his soul was restraining the negative side of the Boosted Gear for all this time.

 _Thanks for the hard work,_ the boy thought. _You okay there, Ddraig?_

[Never better,] Ddraig replied with a chuckle. [This sort of thing can be entertaining sometimes. Only a few would dare try to overwhelm me by throwing tidal waves of insanity.]

 _...I see. Keep it up then._

Issei didn't hear what Ddraig's response was. He was too absorbed by the situation at hands and he could only listen to the Shrine Maiden who was conveying the words of the Land Gods.

After all that had happened, it seemed he didn't learn enough just yet.

Issei was still unprepared, and he was still not strong enough to do what he wanted. On the other hand, the limited knowledge he gained was very important and he might be able to use it to help everyone.

 _...Then,_ Issei decided. _There's something I must know first._

"Aren't the Vertexes defeated already?"

Interrupting with a clear voice that pierced through the stagnant atmosphere that had filled the garden, Issei stepped forward and stood near his friends. He raised his chin as he was taught and met Aya's dull gaze head-on.

"I've been wondering about this all," Issei started. "Things about the world and the survival of mankind… honestly, I can't wrap all that around my head even if you dumb it down."

He was an idiot after all. He didn't like thinking about deeply contrived things and he had to admit that he lacked a lot of knowledge needed for him to understand the topics.

However, he had something to say.

"Without Vertexes, the world _should have been_ at peace. The survival of mankind _should have been_ ensured, and there should be _no reason_ for all these complicated stuff about running out of power like a drying rechargeable battery." Issei narrowed his eyes. "That means the Vertexes are still around. But why?"

Yes. Without Vertexes, there was no need to waste Shinju's divine power. It wouldn't be hogged by Hero System and everything that had been lost could be gradually regained without needing alternatives like Human Sacrifice.

 _...There's a possibility that can explain why things are still like this._

He wished he was wrong.

He wished his deduction was nothing more than a baseless argument.

However, the spokesperson of Shinju closed her eyes and held in a long breath.

" _...That is because – Vertexes cannot be defeated._ "

* * *

A mountainous region existed at the outskirts of Sanshu.

Rich with trees, fertile soil and abundant water sources, the region could be seen as green mounds that spread all over Shikoku.

A man streaked through the sea of trees with immense power. Every single step he took allowed him to cross several hundred meters at once and a giant leap brought him a kilometer away.

He did not rely on his speed. He used the abundant strength he had and kicked the ground mightily, utilizing it to create bursts of acceleration. That way, he could reach his destination faster than a car and he had no need to take detours because of the terrains.

Even so—

"...Hmph!" After the umpteenth acceleration burst, the man suddenly halted and took a stance. "Show yourself! I know you're here, you bastard!"

His senses alerted him. His muscles tensed and his adrenaline began to rise.

What had caused him to stop moving was a familiar sensation. It was something that could be called a predatory gaze as if being stared at by a wild beast, and yet not many could cause such a strong reaction that he needed to brace himself.

However, a waiting game could be dangerous, so Heracles activated his Sacred Gear.

A flash of light coated his body. In the next moment he was covered from head to toe in armors that prioritized maneuverability, _But these are just basic protection_.

The nature of his Sacred Gear allowed him to detonate anything that he touched. In other words, Heracles was a walking bomb that would go off upon direct contact and his armors were a magical equivalent of reactive armor.

 _Intimidation isn't my style, but…_

Heracles ground his teeth as he snarled. "Show yourseld. I can blow everything up around here, including _you_ and I wouldn't even give a damn about that."

At his threat, an unexpected response appeared.

"Oh, so that's how it is…!" A drawn out, almost hysterical and laughing voice came from the shades of the trees ahead of him. "How brutal! That's why I like ya, Herc- _senpai…_!"

Heracles's snarl turned into a venomous hiss. A white-haired man entered his sight with a sword wielded so carelessly that he might as well be an armed hoodlum.

"Freed…" The Greek Champion stared at the red stains covering the black coat and the sword of his underling. "You… what did you do!?"

Heracles smelled rust; it was so strong that he scrunched his nose. He realized Freed's coat was dripping trails of red liquid and if he observed closely, there were numerous darker stains on his Priest's garb.

 _And the direction he came from is the place the others are—_

"You killed them…" Heracles clenched his fists. "What the hell are you doing!?"

The Stray Exorcist did not respond with words at first. He tilted his head in confusion before he made a sound as if he realized something funny.

"Oh, yeah! Well, my _dear_ senior…" Freed Zelzan's smirk stretched wide. "Don't you think this place is so boring?"

The Exorcist swayed and in the next instance his figure vanished from Heracles's eyes.

The man took no time to swing his right arm behind him as he spun on his heels. His fist met something solid, the object broke upon impact and then erupted in a blazing explosion.

With another swing, the object crashed against a tree. It slid down, leaving dark red stains on the tree as it let out smells of burned plastic, but—

"Wrong guy…!" Freed laughed maniacally.

Heracles sidestepped and dodged a vertical slash that would have sliced him in halves. He immediately counterattacked but once again the rogue Exorcist vanished from his sight.

Every single time. Every single blow he used. None of them hit his target.

"What the hell are you…!?"

It wasn't normal. As if a baseline human could move _that_ fast. From what he knew, Freed Zelzan was a product of human experimentation but he was a half-success since he did not have the desired specs or even aptitude to wield the divine weapon the research wished to utilize.

 _But what if he's not?_

"Oops!" A left hook grazed the Exorcist and he immediately retreated before the explosion caught up to him. "Sorry there! The firework ain't even starting yet, you know?!"

"Shut up and die already!" Heracles roared as he pursued the traitor deep into the forest.

"Oh, come on now! It's something hilariously big and grand, Herc- _senpai!"_ Freed's laughter echoed throughout the forest. "It's going to be cathartic! After all, the Boss really wants this one to go off spectacularly _just like before!_ "

 _The Boss…!?_

"What the hell are you talking about!?" Heracles halted upon losing sight of the white-haired psychopath. "Answer me, Freed!"

The laughter echoed. The insane laughter lacking any sanity or even moral shook the air. Heracles growled but even then, he realized that it was impossible to catch up with the skinny traitor.

 _He erased his presence with some spells I can't recognize…!_

"Oh, right." Freed's voice echoed. "This is my resignation letter. Try not to die, Mister Hero!"

Heracles widened his eyes and kicked the ground. He flew backward as a white form crashed into the place he was in a split second earlier, and he saw a squirming, seemingly organic creature the size of a minibus floating in front of him.

It had rows of sharp teeth that looked like fences stuck together with a thread, added by twin crests above the head and ropes hanging from two horns. It had no eyes, no limbs, no hair or even scales and its body absorbed the light with its pure white coloration.

Heracles felt chills running down his spine. He looked around and saw dozens of similar creatures appearing from the shadows of the trees and surrounding him from all directions.

"Stardusts!?" Heracles assumed a fighting stance. "How come—"

...No. There was a way for these monsters to appear all the way here.

The man understood what this meant and he gritted his teeth so as not to give in to the temptation of a deadly sin. He has to maintain some semblance of control or he will die.

 _But why is the barrier not activating?_

As the inorganic beasts screeched and approached, Heracles leaked a surprised gasp and he looked to a certain direction.

 _...It can't be…!?_

He saw the sky changing color, he noticed the movements of the leaves and the winds stopping, and he felt the land quaking as a signal of great change.

Once a pillar of light ascended to the heavens — it suddenly vanished and _cracks_ ran through the sky, as if the world was nothing but a stained glass.


	58. Interlude - What the Girl Sought

Tougou heard an ear-piercing noise.

Throughout the sky, cracks spread and spilled ominous white light. The blue morning sky became a fake scenery and many shouts came from the city surrounding the castle.

People looked up to the heavens. They questioned the unfolding reality before their eyes, shocked by the destruction of what they once believed as impossible to be destroyed, and they began to doubt everything including their own judgments.

"Aki-sama!" Suddenly opening the door connecting the spacious room and the corridor, a mask-wearing man froze over when he looked at Tougou. "T-Tougou Mimori-sama…? Aki-sama, why—"

"Forget about that," the attendant now known as Aki interjected as she left her seat. "Why is the inner barrier weakening? What is the situation?!"

Tougou widened her eyes in silence, caught off-guard by the overwhelming impression the attendant had. It was as if a switch had flipped in her mind and she assumed direct control upon facing the other member of Taisha.

"Y-Yes!" The masked man bowed his head deeply in apology. "The castle's connections with the shrines established on top of the Dragon Veins have been lost! Without them, the maintenance of the illusory barrier is forcefully redirected to Shinju-sama…!"

"But Shinju-sama only has a little power left…" Aki gasped and swung her right arm to the side. "Send out the royal guards! We have foreign elements sabotaging the system! What about the situation in the mainland?!"

"There is no change, but we cannot contact them be it through normal means or even communication spells!"

Tougou heard the attendant clicking her tongue. The woman breathed out and commanded the person standing at the doorsteps to relay her orders.

"Restore the connection with the branch shrines and reactivate Jukai as soon as possible! Furthermore, inform Taisha's branches throughout Shikoku to evacuate the people into the nearest shelters!"

"B-But we will not be able to deal with the fall out scenario—"

"Taisha's primary objective is ensuring the survival of mankind! What's the point of saving face in front of extinction!?"

Like that, the mask-wearing man bowed down and finally obeyed. The girl thought there would be some silence after the masked man left, but she could still hear chaos rioting from the corridor. It was as if the situation in the castle was no different than the outside.

 _...This is real,_ Tougou realized. _What I am seeing, listening, and feeling… this is all happening._

"...Mimori-sama."

"H-Huh…?"

When Tougou snapped out of her reverie, the attendant had placed her left hand on her mask. With a slight tilt, the mask was removed and Tougou saw the stern face of a woman with brown hair.

"This might be the last time we see each other in this circumstance," the woman said as she peered with her light brown eyes. "And so, I must inform you one thing as your former homeroom teacher, not as Taisha's priestess."

The attendant kneeled before Tougou and placed her hand on hers. She looked up, met the girl's turquoise eyes and opened her lips.

"This country has already been defeated ever since three hundred years ago."

Tougou's heart throbbed as the statement sank in.

"To ensure the people's survival, the King of the Land Gods begged for amnesty after they lost in a great war." The noise from the outside and inside of the castle grew, yet Aki continued on. "They have been defeated, weakened and exiled to this land, and they were forced to obey the demands of the victors. It is to the point of allowing human sacrifice to be used."

At this point, Aki drew in a silent breath.

"It was a necessary step to ensure the people's survival, but as the descendants of those who accepted such cruelty, we cannot deny that we are far too impure to be cleansed." The attendant's gaze softened. "That is why remember this, and do not let yourself be swayed even once to forgive us."

"...What… are you…"

The large and soft hand traveled up to cup Tougou's cheek. As Aki began to stand, she met Tougou on the eye-level and she placed her other hand on the girl's shoulder.

"The world," Aki said. "The world outside has long been destroyed beyond repairs, and this war against Vertexes will never end."

Tougou held her breath. She did not believe what she had heard and she did not expect herself to accept what the attendant had just said.

Even so, the comforting touch on her cheek and shoulder calmed her nerves, enough to ensure a space to think logically.

Tougou spoke up, "...Is there… truly no way to end this war?"

Aki nodded. "There is only a slim chance for us… for humanity to win by themselves, and there will be great sacrifices even if we win."

The end result would be a pyrrhic victory or absolute annihilation, and there was no other way left.

Tougou wished what she had heard was untrue, but she knew that she was being childish and clinging to a sliver of vain hope. _In that case…_

"...What are the Vertexes?" Tougou gripped the armrests of her wheelchair tightly. "What are we fighting?"

The girl ignored the chaos raging throughout the city outside the castle.

The girl silenced her growing terror, fear, and yearning for comfort with sheer willpower.

Then the girl detached herself from all but one thought which was the issue in her hands.

 _...I am truly a lost cause._

The girl knew that her decision was not going to help anyone at this point. Deep inside her, her desire to be with her friends was outweighing her rationality, and she wished to know if her parents were safe and sound.

 _Even so..._ _I cannot allow myself to stray off from my own objective._

Thus the girl spoke out her questions and waited for an answer. She stayed still, expecting with bated breath, and—

"The true identity of the Vertexes…" Aki breathed out. "They are artificial self-evolving creatures made through the ability of one of the thirteen holy lances. They are infinite in number, growing stronger and smarter through every battle, and they are capable of summoning great power that can alter every logic of the world."

 _Then,_ the attendant followed.

"Those who created Vertexes…" Aki closed her eyes for a few moment. "They are nigh-omnipotent beings that rule over the many logics of the world."

They were so powerful that they could split the sky and twist concepts around.

"They despised their kins, fought and waged wars against them, and were imprisoned, shunned, as well as exiled once they were defeated. Still, they continued to get back up because they do not know death nor an end."

They were beings who stood on a plateau no human could ever hope to reach.

"They hated mankind for their contradicting nature which allows them to create a synergy between chaos and order. They gathered together under the same banner and used any possible means to ensure their victory. Then…"

They eventually won.

They used a weapon to create an endless army of self-evolving monsters, they defeated the Gods of the Far Eastern land, and they made the world impossible for ordinary mortal beings to inhabit it.

Such was why the current age was known as the Divine Era. It was named that because...

"We are fighting against Gods," the attendant said. "And this war will never end unless we can slay any and every God who cannot accept the idea of a world inherited by humanity, or even coexistence."

In the midst of the chaotic situation, the cracks on the sky grew wider, spreading and then intersecting.

They created the image of a crude puzzle. As the lines of the light dividing the pieces shone with eerie white light, a clear sound of destruction silenced the frantic voices of the people. Subdued banging sounds were heard as if large solid objects were striking against a concrete wall and the volume increased as each strike happened.

Many eyes gathered to look up as shards of light floated down and touched the land of Shikoku. The air shook, the earth trembled, and the quiet inland sea of Seto rocked waves, but the striking sound from beyond the cracked sky suddenly disappeared. A short silence arrived and many held their breaths.

Then, with great sounds akin to shattering glass, the heaven fell.


	59. Chapter 49 - Folly

"We lost contact with Shikoku?"

Overseeing a town from the terrace of a shrine next to a cliff, a woman narrowed her eyes and looked at her vassal. The vassal with a red mask and black wings nodded down.

"...How did that even happen? And since when?"

"A few minutes ago, the combined unit observing the leylines reported sudden spikes and disappearance of energy waves connecting Honshu and Shikoku," the tengu reported. "After cross-referencing, we believe this is the same incident that happened to Suwa, Kyushu, Okinawa, and Hokkaido."

The woman thankfully did not let her surprise show.

The war was supposed to be on halt ever since 300 years ago. A quiet and uncertain peace had been restored to this Far Eastern land, and nobody knew of the terror that once robbed the love and admiration of the people toward the azure sky above.

Despite that, news had reached her, telling that something had changed. _Did the humans do something again, or did the gods decide to break the treaty they made with the King of Land Gods?_

"...Okaa-sama? Is something wrong?"

Hearing the familiar reserved voice of her daughter, the woman turned her head to look at the young girl sitting next to her. Said little girl had been nibbling on a rice cracker but she had stopped doing that when she called out to her parent.

The woman smiled and patted her daughter's head.

"It's nothing, Kunou," she said. "Now, I know that you shouldn't be too active since we're in the middle of summer, but do you want to go out and play with your friends?"

Hearing her suggestion, the young girl sitting next to her widened her eyes. It took less than a moment for her to hop off the bench, circle around, and face her mother. She beamed with a glittering gaze and the corners of her lips tugging up into a wide smile.

"Really!? Can I play again at the usual place?"

"Yes. Of course you can." The mother with gold-colored hair chuckled. "Now run along. And don't be rude to the other children, Youkai or not."

"I know! I promise I won't cause troubles again!" Kunou ran off into the interiors of Kiyomizu-dera shrine, but without forgetting to wave as she looked back. "See you later, Okaa-sama!"

As the silhouette of the child vanished into the other side of the temple, the mother waved back and sighed. She slowly lowered her hand.

"What should we do, Yasaka- _hime_?"

"A good question." Yasaka leaned back a little as she began staring at the blue sky above Kyoto. "It would be a different matter if the Three Great Youkai were around, but no one can ever come to terms with them and they died from all the ill karma they accumulated."

With that being said, the era had also changed. The time where malevolence and despair shrouded the land had long passed. Sure, the Apocalypse brought surplus amount of fear that helped revitalize the fading clans in her Faction, but there wasn't anything exceptional happening.

 _Besides the fact that this imperial capital has returned to its former glory,_ Yasaka rethought. _I suppose there's nothing else that can surpass the importance of this change._

Yasaka placed a fan to cover her lips and sighed with closed eyes. Thoughts ran across her mind, and she delved deep into her memories in search of an answer. What was she supposed to do? What was the best course of action she could take?

 _…Perhaps, the time has come to cleanse the past and move forward to the future._

As a slightly strong breeze blew through the terrace of the temple, the woman with golden hair and nine tails reopened her eyes.

"...Contact Azazel." Yasaka leaned forward and stood up from the bench she was sitting on. "We may not make it in time, but that man should have some tricks under his sleeves to make a few shortcuts."

* * *

Issei looked up with his mouth parted open.

Cracks spread across the blue and white scenery like shattering glass. Light spilled from those cracks, and a piece of the sky fell with a roar.

" _No!_ "

Before he could notice, Yuuna had shouted and moved.

Wisps of light flew from the Shinju and flower petals scattered beneath her feet. The girl transformed into her Hero outfits in an instance and with a great jump, reached the top of the castle.

"Yuuna-chan!?" Issei exclaimed, donned Boosted Gear and chased after his friend.

Even so, the girl clad in white and pink had already leaped off the castle's roof.

She soared toward the sky, tearing through winds and the sound barrier as she reached the falling wreckage with her right arm pulled in.

"AaaaaaAAAAAHHH!"

The moment the girl swung her fist, a white Fairy flashed and vanished into a storm of flower petals. They embraced the girl as if protecting her and the emblem on the back of her right hand materialized a fully drawn symbol of a cherry blossom.

A powerful sound of destruction traveled through the sky.

Sparks scattered. As Yuuna lost her momentum, the falling wreckage shook before it resumed its descent.

 _It's no use,_ Issei realized as he flew toward Yuuna. _Not even Yuuna can—_

"Not… yet!" Yuuna suddenly exclaimed as she brought her feet up and aimed at the flat side of the wreckage. "Hero…!"

Her second Fairy bloomed and scattered in the same fashion as the first. Then, embers of flame surrounded the girl's legs and she struck the colossal wreckage with all of her might.

"KIIIIICCK!"

A definite sound of cracking glass was produced.

The sound ran as literal cracks spread across the wreckage. At first they were all thin and nearly invisible, but as seconds went by they grew wider with red light spilling from the inside of the cracks.

In the following moment, the wreckage detonated from the inside-out.

"Yuuna-chan...!"

Issei caught the girl after she was thrown back by the recoil and the ensuing shockwave. However, her momentum pushed him down to the point that he almost lost control of his wings.

Issei hastily regained his balance.

He succeeded, but he saw the emblem on Yuuna's right hand. The flower emblem was colored with a darker shade of scarlet, and the symbol gave the impression of completeness.

It was the Mankai gauge. It had been fully recharged.

"...Yuuna-chan, you…"

Issei's words were interrupted by an intense impulse to look up. Yuuna must have sensed it as well as she followed his direction and stared at the shattered heavens.

They saw a starless black sky with nothing but the moon shining in it.

They heard roars and screams of beasts that sent cold shivers down their spines.

After that, countless white forms crawled out from the rims of the broken sky, from the moon, and from the pitch-black darkness that filled the scenery of the Outside World. They swarmed out in all directions, creating an ocean of white beasts that looked more like maggots covering a surface.

"Those are…!"

* * *

Deep inside the forest that skirted around the town of Sanshu, a lone two-story building stood. It had damages all over the place and their signs were relatively new.

As large footsteps left the bushes and vanished upon touching the cemented flooring of the building's terrace, the leaves shook as if frightened. Scrunching up his nose, a man narrowed his eyes as he stared down at a dismembered body that seemed as if it was torn apart by wild beasts.

"...So this is all that remained of you all, huh?"

The large figure strode over to a barely hanging door. The passage leading into a room was clean except for the specks of red tainted the floor, the walls, and the ceilings. There was no sign of life and a broken hand stuck out at the doorsteps, the torn glove revealing bloodied and broken nails.

"...This wasn't his doing," the man spat out. "Vertexes don't obey the orders of humans. They're just tools with unbending loyalty to their directive."

Stardust – the codename of the maggot-like Vertexes that tried to kill him. They were the weakest strain and the base components making up the Constellation Vertexes. They had the tendency to swarm in on a single target before biting, ripping apart flesh, bones and organs, and finally consuming their victim until nothing except a mess of blood and gore remained.

"...How in the name of gods did this happen?" The man dug his right fingers into his temple.

The Stardusts didn't care about competing with each other while they feasted on their prey. They didn't care about the screams of their victims. They simply moved, attacked, and devoured their target like a bunch of hungry rabid animals.

"...Fucking hell," the man breathed out. "I should have known that someone with a few loose screws like that would never care about betraying humanity as long as he can get some 'fun'."

He had to kill him and report his finding to his comrades.

Judging by Freed's lunacy, there must be other moles and backstabbers in the organization. The Hero Faction was far too detached with the groups making up the entire Brigade, but it wouldn't be out of the realm of possibilities if one of them decided to betray the organization just because.

 _No,_ the man contemplated. _If Georg told me to retreat, then…_

"...Something must be happening out there." Heracles looked up to the sky as millions of white dots poured down. "That means until I'm done with all of this, I won't be able to contact Cao Cao. Even then, I doubt the traitors in the ranks could easily be put down if they turned out to be Heroes."

The man clenched his hands and gritted his teeth. He walked out of the building but at the tenth step he turned around and struck the ground with his right fist.

Cracks split the earth wide and they raced forward in a single direction, heading straight to the building filled with blood and unmoving flesh.

In the next moment, a great explosion turned the entire building into a blazing ruin consumed by infernal conflagration.

"...Brat," Heracles muttered, standing back up only as he watched the flames rage on. "If you haven't lost hope on this shitty reality, you should know best what you have to do next."

The man looked up to the shattered sky.

"What will you choose to save?"

* * *

Issei didn't hesitate to turn his back on the Vertexes.

Putting Yuuna in his arms, he carried her like a knight would carry a princess and ignited his boosters. The now pink-haired girl yelped as she reflexively drew herself into his chest as the wind struck the two like a solid wall, but that wasn't as important as what was happening behind them.

"They're catching up…!?" Issei looked back at the swarms of Vertexes chasing after him. "What the hell are they!?"

No matter how fast he flew, and no matter how many maneuvers he used to throw off the monsters, the Vertexes continued to pursue him like some guided missiles. At this rate, they would ensnare his wings with their teeth and pull him into a gory death.

"In that case…!"

Turning off one of his boosters, Issei's body spun in midair as if he tripped over an obstacle. He held Yuuna tight with his right arm and swung his left arm to the side while it was gathered a concentration of magic energy.

[BOOST!]

As the magical energy condensed into a sphere of green light appeared right above his knuckle, Issei punched forward with his left fist. The red gauntlet shone along with the green jewels carved into it and the concentration of magical energy blasted forward in the form of a ray of light.

A green light streaked across the sky. It evaporated every Vertexes in its path. Despite that, Issei didn't stop at that as his unbalanced body forced the destructive light to move like an unfolding fan.

Numerous explosions painted the damaged sky. Together with their death throes, the maggot-shaped Vertexes vanished and left behind only wisps of light that traveled toward the real world that existed beyond the Shinju's barrier.

Even so, countless swarms of white poured down and replaced their dead brethren. Issei realized that the numbers had doubled and now the sky above Kagawa prefecture was half filled with Vertexes.

"…You're kidding…" Issei trembled, not even sucking in air as if forgetting how to breathe. "Just… Just how many are there?"

How many Vertexes existed outside the barrier?

How many did he have to kill to end this battle?

How long will he have to fight if he is truly facing an endless army of monsters?

As if sensing a disturbance, Issei's wings shuddered and he whipped his head to look at the out-of-place moon surrounded by pitch-black sky. He saw no stars or clouds in there. He saw nothing but a pure white moon that seemed to lack the cratered surface a moon should have.

Then, from the moon a black dot appeared.

It slowly enlarged itself. It was descending toward them and its massive size resembled a mountain in scale. It was accompanied by several other shapes and they all undulated like living blobs trying to assimilate themselves into a stronger being.

Covered with molten red color that resembled neither flame nor blood cells, the gigantic objects were surrounded by the tiny white Vertexes. They swarmed around them, sticking themselves onto the strange objects and Issei soon heard a crunching noise.

"…They…" Yuuna gasped. "…They're eating each other…"

Indeed. Just like what Yuuna said, the tiny Vertexes were devouring each other. They leaped on top of each other, slammed their bodies against their own kin and tore themselves apart in a gruesome display of cannibalism.

Bestial shrieks resounded throughout the air. The Vertexes ate each other like possessed hungry ghosts and yet they gradually changed. As their numbers lessened, the size of the remaining white shaped creatures grew before they glued themselves onto the larger objects. They coated the red-colored shapes like skins, resulting in the appearance of a familiar nightmare that chilled Issei's blood.

"Those are…" Issei's eyes travelled from left to right. "Virgo… Sagittarius… Cancer… Scorpio…"

Four familiar monsters appeared right before him. They were enemies that should have already been defeated. They were Vertexes that should have been defeated and sealed by the Heroes.

As if receiving a cue for their appearance, four more shapes descended from the Outside World.

One possessed the design of a block-shaped animal with four sharp limbs – the Capricornus.

Another had two forelegs and a tube-like body tailing behind it – the Aries.

Yet another resembled a metal jellyfish – the Pisces.

The last was a towering monster with a spiked ring floating behind its hundred-meter tall body – the Leo Starcluster.

Eight Vertexes. There were eight Vertexes in total and they were surrounded by millions of white Vertexes. Those maggot-shaped ones must be their minions, and they functioned as both quick attacking units and regenerating vessels for the larger Vertexes.

Issei suddenly recalled Aya's words.

Infinite in number, capable of self-evolution and extremely fast regeneration rate. The Vertexes could further summon powers that could alter the logic of the world, and they had destroyed the world while being backed by a union of narrow-minded higher beings.

 _What I'm fighting all this time is—_

"Ise-senpai!"

The moment Yuuna's shout reached him, Issei realized way too late as the Sagittarius opened its mouth.

A whistling sound was heard. A giant arrow of light flew toward Issei at twice the speed needed to break the sound barrier. The arrow reached him in no time, but Issei threw his entire weight to execute a barrel roll and avoided fatal damage.

"Gh...!?"

A sensation of burning heat traveled from his back. He glanced to the side and realized that most of his left wing had been torn apart by the arrow of light.

In the meanwhile, another whistling sound appeared. Issei had to move. He could still use his boosters but when he looked down, he realized that he had committed a grave mistake.

The town.

The town of Marugame was right behind him. His back was halfway facing it but his current position meant that if he dodged, the next attack would hit the town.

"...Damn… it…!"

The second booming sound shook the air. An arrow of light aimed to blow his entire torso off was approaching and Issei had nothing to stop it from hurting him, his friend, and the town behind him.

What was he going to save?

What could he protect?

What was he supposed to choose?

Gritting his teeth, Issei twisted his body in midair. He held Yuuna tight, and he whipped both of his wings forward, creating two layers of poorly constructed shield right in front of him.

Before Yuuna could realize what he intended to do, the boy roared out as he extended his left arm toward the incoming attack.

" _Shine! Over Boost!_ "

As a bright red light shone in the sky, an ear-splitting noise burst upon the collision between an arrow of light and a broken shield. The winds shattered in many directions and the clouds dispersed.

In the following moment, a fiery explosion erupted far above Marugame.


	60. Chapter 50 - Unbreakable Scales

Karin cried out the two names of her friends upon seeing the blooming red explosion in the sky.

Above her dread over the resurrected threats.

Above her fear of using her power.

Above anything else in this messed up world that seems to be coming to an end, the girl came to realize that the thought of losing _those two_ made her move.

"It's alright," the Shrine Maiden's voice rang out. "They're alright."

Before Karin could ask what the girl meant, she heard a furious roar shaking the earth and the sky.

The bestial howl silenced the screams of the Vertexes. Emerging from the layers of ashen smokes was a red-winged being that drew a sharp line as he flew down to the inner garden of Marugame castle.

Karin put up her arms in front of her face to shield herself from the dirt and flower petals scattered by the roaring winds. As they died down, Karin lowered her arms and identified the form of—

"...Huh…?" Someone's voice spilled out.

What stood before the group was certainly a winged and armored human, but Karin realized the limbs of the person were longer than an adult, the triangular helmet resembled the head of a dragon more so than what was in her memories and a long serrated tail swayed behind the user of Boosted Gear.

"Sorry," a familiar voice with slightly deeper tone emerged as the lower part of the headgear which resembled fangs parted open. "We got caught off-guard, but both Yuuna and I are okay."

While presenting her unconscious friend who was held in his arms, the person – no, the boy that became a dragon apologized with bowed head.

Because Karin couldn't process the event occurring before her eyes, she could only stare dumbly and received Yuuna. The weight of her unconscious friend brought her focus back somewhat, but Karin could only sum up her thoughts in one question.

"What… happened?"

As if his duty was done, the boy bobbed his head down sheepishly.

"I… kind of turned into a humanoid dragon," Issei said. "You've heard about my Over Boost, right? Well, as extra compensation, I can kind of envision what I want from Boosted Gear and…"

As he spread his arms to the side, the brunette's classmate seemed as if he was saying 'This happened'. He might have looked like he was showing off, but his voice carried confusion and disappointment in it.

He was saying the truth.

The boy could never keep his feelings hidden and he hated lying to anyone, even to himself. Always looking straight ahead, always aware of what he wanted from himself, other people and the situation, Hyoudou Issei was just that; a hopelessly honest fool.

Despite knowing and understanding the person before her, that bluntness tore into Karin's conscience. It forced her to realize the hidden message contained in the boy's gem-like eyes, and her heart ached as a thought appeared in her mind.

 _It can't be_. There was no way what she imagined was the truth. _I must be wrong._

However...

"...You…" Karin looked up, meeting the gaze of her friend. "...You can no longer return to your previous form… can you?"

* * *

Issei wished he could stay silent.

His body was brimming with strength, and he could control his senses to an inhuman degree. He could perceive things better if he wanted to, and he could shut his hearing off if he wanted some perfect silence. He also had full authority over his wings and tail, though he couldn't deny that moving them around at the same time gave him strange, indescribable feelings.

 _Maybe I'm still not used to this body yet._

"Issei—"

Hearing his name spoken by his friend, the boy nodded.

"Well," Issei interjected. "I guess… this is my default form from now on."

While he couldn't believe it, he had to accept his new reality. He was a dragon now, a being of power and desire. His Sacred Gear had fused with his body and it was now recalibrating itself to better suit his needs.

At the very least, he was still capable of maintaining Boosted Gear despite having the Boost counter resetting when he released the Over Boost stage.

"In any case…" The dragon looked up to the swarms of monsters in the sky above Marugame. "I'll have to go out again, so please take care of Yuuna-chan."

"...You're going to fight again...?"

Issei nodded. He prepared to fly by spreading his wings and igniting his boosters, but suddenly—

"Why do you keep fighting?"

As he identified a new voice in the garden, Issei looked ahead and saw a figure exiting a dark passage.

It was a girl in a wheelchair. Wearing Sanshu middle school uniform, she had long black hair tied with a green ribbon and her turquoise eyes reminded him of the eyes of the red dragon he was partnered with.

"...Issei-san… everyone…" Tougou glanced at a certain direction. "...Yuuna-chan…"

She breathed out in relief. She was glad that everyone she knew was still alive.

 _Even so,_ Issei thought. _It's still not safe_.

The town was in chaos. There was no doubt that something must be done before an even greater threat appeared. There was no time—

"...Issei-san. Why do you keep fighting?" the girl repeated her question.

Issei stilled. Then, his eyes climbed up and met with the girl who had definitely known the truth and realized the true reason behind many things, including the one standing before her.

Tougou's hesitant gaze pierced deep into him as she spoke out.

"Why would you go this far?" The girl asked. "What are you fighting for?"

* * *

 _What's the point of struggling fruitlessly... huh?_

Tougou sometimes had dreams that resembled memories. She had felt some attachment and sometimes she didn't.

 _Perhaps some part of my previous self still remained, even after it was offered to the gods as a sacrifice._

Tougou Mimori didn't like losing what was important to her.

She had been deceived by many people, including her own parents, for the past two years. Her friends were dragged along with the pretense of 'For the sake of the greater good' and now they had to fight while slowly but surely losing parts of themselves.

She couldn't accept losing anything more than this, but...

"Why…? Please answer me, Issei-san…"

The boy must have been hurting on the inside.

Otherwise, he would not have cried, wounded himself, or even roared out inside the forest detached from any human ear. Tougou could understand what had caused his pain, but she could not fathom his desire to keep on charging forward.

Why? Wasn't it clear that humanity was fighting against the impossible, resisting the godly beings that had destroyed the world 300 years ago? Why would he risk what he held dear even though he knew he would lose it in the end? Why bother resisting destiny? Why?

 _Why do you refuse to give up?_

As Aki's words resounded inside her mind, Tougou pressed her right hand against her chest. It was hard to breathe, and it was even harder for her to keep her emotions from running out of control. There was no doubt she couldn't endure it any longer.

Then… the answer arrived.

"Because I still have something to protect."

As the boy's voice echoed off, he approached and kneeled on one knee. Tougou's eyes widened as the boy grasped and held her left hand, but all she could feel from the touch was the coolness of the iron gauntlet the boy wore.

Despite that, his gaze remained soft and warm, just like the time where he laughed together with his friends.

"All of you are my treasures," the boy said. "I'm a dragon now, but even before I became like this, my feeling never changed. I want to be with you all and I don't want to lose any of you."

As he breathed out, Tougou sensed emotions in that gesture. Was it hesitation she felt, or was it a sigh full of resolve? No, it was—

"I won't give up."

As the wind blew, flower petals scattered from the garden into the sky.

"I won't give up," Issei repeated. "I don't care even if the world and the gods are against me. I won't stand idly and leave you all alone. I won't accept any ending where none of us can ever be happy again."

Tougou's almost forgot how to breathe as she heard the boy's truest feelings. It was accompanied with firmness and determination, and yet it didn't sound deluded as he was aware that there was only so much he could do.

The boy who understood his own limits held the girl's hand with a firm yet delicately controlled grip so he wouldn't hurt her.

"It's because you are here that I can't give up. It's because I am here that I still have the chance to reach the ending I desired." The boy slowly let go of her hand and stood up. "I still can't do much, even at this very moment. I couldn't stop you all from getting hurt, and I was too late to 'save' you."

 _But,_ the boy added.

"You and me – we're still alive. We're still here, so that means we can still make a difference."

Despite his appearance that made it impossible to show any expression, Tougou swore she witnessed a smile as the lower part of the headgear moved.

"I'm going ahead and return to this place I call home. Just like always." Issei tilted his head. "What will you do, Tougou-san?"

* * *

The cacophony of chaos was almost too entertaining to be left alone.

In the castle's interiors, people were frantically moving like a school of fishes surrounded by sharks. It was loud, it was busy, and it was terrible when you realized that you could easily be shoved aside against the wall by an innocent bystander.

Harunobu expelled a grunt as he lifted a cardboard box overflowing with documents.

His research was going so well until the rude action of a stranger literally brought hell past the doorsteps and into the house. While he had been a honorable agent with long time of servitude and numerous achievements, he wasn't one who would care about the useless arguments of the brainless masses.

 _After all,_ he thought. _The world is ending as we speak._

He didn't know if he should be happy or not. The Hero System was being uncooperative, what with the overseers' failure of searching out to the presences of the Heroes plus one. He was of course suspected for treason considering his younger sibling being one of the Heroes, but time was wasting when the Jukai and the inner barriers were forcefully shut down.

 _I sure am jealous of Hyoudou,_ he commented in his mind. _That guy took a day off as if he knew this would happen._

A part of him wondered if the freak was the one who staged this all, but he knew that Hyoudou Ichiro was never that sort of man. He might be a pervert morally incapable of having any tact, but he wasn't an idiot who couldn't think up any peaceful solution.

 _He's probably doing something for someone else's sake, probably his child or maybe anyone in this dastardly country that is still redeemable._

"Miyoshi, what are you doing!?" A fellow worker of the RAD department shouted from outside Harunobu's office. "Get moving!"

Harunobu snarled. "Work in progress!"

"Are you stupid or what?! The higher-ups are giving out new orders so throw those things into the burner and go meet the supervisors already!"

 _What did you say?_ Before Harunobu could fathom the words of his coworker, light suddenly flooded his vision and he immediately dropped his documents.

His back suddenly struck something solid. Air was thrown out of his lungs and the world blotted out with dark spots through his flickering vision. The man's voice did not synchronize well with his mind, and his brain was fuzzy as if someone had struck him with the bottom of a sake bottle.

Harunobu took a deep breath.

 _What was that,_ he thought as he slowly became aware of the fact that he was sitting and leaning his back against a wall with his legs sprawled out. _What was that?_

His sensory and auditory organs recovered at the same time, but it still took time and when he realized what was going on – the man froze over.

"Huh…?"

The corridor just outside his office had been blown away. Only a quarter of the floor remained intact, and the walls and the ceiling crumbled away. Smoke, dirt, and dust filled the air to the point of obscuring his vision and choking his lungs, but his undamaged eyes were still capable of noticing dark red puddles that guided him to see fallen, unmoving bodies.

Harunobu's blood ran cold as he became increasingly aware of the hot liquid staining his cheek and his right sleeve.

"What was that!?" Someone shouted from the corridor, his voice hoarse and full of confusion. "What the hell was that!?"

The thoughts of him not being the only one panicking help cooled down Harunobu's nerves. Even so, amidst the cries, screams and shouts of both the wounded and the lucky survivors, Harunobu slowly stood up and walked toward the ruined corridor.

He saw a sky filled with monsters.

He saw smokes rising from various parts of the city.

He saw the world ending right before his eyes.

"...The Vertexes…" His voice spilled out, trembling as a clear line of thought crossed his mind. "They targeted this place intentionally…"

What did that mean? Logic dictated that he had to evacuate alongside those who could still move around. Even his instinct as a living being was screaming at him, ordering the man to move aside lest he be locked on as the next target.

Even so, Harunobu couldn't stop thinking.

"...They knew Shinju-sama is here," he said as he looked up to the sky. "That was a warning shot. It was also an experiment to identify _if_ Shinju-sama still has its personal barrier to protect itself."

The Leo Starcluster wasn't the one who blew up a part of the castle. The output was too low to even be considered as a regular attack of a Starcluster Vertex, and it was too precise since it only exposed a small part of the castle instead of piercing through it.

Harunobu realized that it was a test shot of either the Sagittarius or Virgo, and soon he realized that those sharpshooters deliberately left out the city under the mercy of the Stardusts.

Why did they do that?

"...A show of power and an ultimatum." Miyoshi Harunobu clenched his hands and teeth. "You're mocking us, aren't you? You're finding our struggle to survive entertaining! Isn't that right, you narrow-minded Gods!?"

The moment he shouted out was the moment the Vertexes executed their second move.

Harunobu saw the belly of the Virgo expanding. The Vertex scattered floating shells with pointed tips and they all shot forward toward the castle.

In the following second, the Marugame castle was shrouded by veils of roaring aerial bombardment.

Flames blazed on. Black smokes and embers that burned out oxygen filled the ruined corridor and nothing stayed the same. There were terrible noises as the tremors shook the castle enough that the ceilings cracked and seemed about to fall at any moment.

In the midst of it all, Harunobu realized he was still alive.

"What…?"

He reopened his eyes, witnessed a figure floating right outside the castle and gulped down.

Red wings that stretched far and wide, a bulky frame covered with steel scales that resembled a scale mail, and a tail that swayed as its owner looked ahead.

Before he could say any more word, the red dragon looked up and flew to the city.

* * *

[...Partner, are you still there?]

Amidst the winds and turbulence, the green gems on his armors flashed a bright light once.

Issei nodded. "I'm alright. Tanking damage turned to be not as bad as I thought. The test was a success."

[Don't be a fool,] Ddraig chided. [The armors you have can do that because we're still in Over Boost. Your stamina can't keep on holding up protection rivaling a fortified fortress wall.]

The boy nodded and continued accelerating. He moved his arms and the Sacred Gear responded by extending its claws.

Issei swiftly cut apart the Stardusts in his path. He swung his claws, tore apart the floating white maggots, and dove into a horde of countless monsters without fear.

Even though the Stardusts bit him, the sharp edges of his armors prevented any damage. With a flicking movement and they were shredded into pieces, leaving behind only wisps of light that traveled toward the hole in the sky.

"Ddraig, what's up with that light?" Issei asked as he continued to cut down the army of monsters while ignoring the larger ones.

[The light of something you don't want to know,] Ddraig replied. [I don't want you to 'fall' into Juggernaut state so quickly, partner. Their screams are already leaking out, you know?]

 _Right... so the truth is another horrible thing no one would want to know._

"In that case…" Issei maximized the output of his boosters and became a line of red light. "You all can go to hell, you fucking drones!"

As he sped up, the Sacred Gear announced a dozen more Boosts within a beat. The effect stacked up in less than five seconds and Issei pierced through the sound barrier with a great roar.

His aura shrouded his body and broke down any incoming enemy into nothingness. Not even ashes remained as he plowed through countless fangs, and the boy streaked across the airspace right above the city, eradicating any Vertex in sight.

[They're concentrating the Stardusts on you,] Ddraig notified. [It's only a matter of time before the Constellations take notice of you, partner!]

"Isn't that the point of acting as a bait!?"

Issei grinned and shot up. He punched a hole through a receding cloud and he reached the same altitude as the shattered hole in the sky.

The boy gave a once over the small, cramped world surrounding him, and he realized he could only see the ocean stretching beyond the Walls.

 _Ah,_ Issei thought. _So_ this _is what our fake world truly looks like._

Boundless and empty, the barrier probably used an illusion that warped the sense of distance and 'suggested' that the world wasn't only this country. Even so, that suggestion was coupled with a sense of 'worthlessness', as if to show that there was truly nothing that survived the end of the world.

"We've been living a blissful life by being ignorant, haven't we?"

The boy looked down at the approaching Stardusts. The distance between them was only several kilometres, and the Stardusts could reach him in a matter of minutes.

"...This is your fault," Issei told the incoming enemies. " _This is all your fault._ "

He hated the Vertexes.

The boy despised these beings that acted under the names of the Gods. He wanted to destroy them all and create a world without Vertexes or even selfish Gods who couldn't be bothered to accept their own works.

Why would one pray to the Gods who gave only pain and sufferings to their subjects? Why was there a need for creators who couldn't accept the world they once created? Why would they even create a world when they would end up destroying it altogether anyway?

"I doubt I can ever get to understand the likes of them," Issei muttered with a deep sigh. "...If someone I don't like is ruling the world, does that mean I'm fighting against the world?"

 _But if I challenge_ this _kind of world… where will I go back to?_

He would be separated from his loved ones until this stupid War ended. He would be unable to see the girls of the Hero Club, Sonoko, or even his parents. He wouldn't be able to talk to them, touch them and live together with them.

Not until he saved the world.

Not until he fled from that heroic path.

Not until he acquired victory, or die chasing a dream.

"...Gin-chan," Issei exhaled. "...You're waiting over there, even now, right?"

The boy was an idiot through and through. He didn't doubt anything and he made a promise without thinking about the other side's feeling.

"I'm the worst."

He wanted to die. In fact, a small part of him had already died. If it was like this, he wouldn't be able to face that axe-wielding teacher the next time they meet each other.

[No one expects that, you know?] Ddraig inhaled. [Who would've ever thought that the girl you promised to be reunited with is already dead two years prior?]

"Yeah, but still…" Issei looked up to the pointlessly shining moon. "...I hate how much of a fool I can be."

 _The promise now means 'please wait until I crossed the Sanzu river like you did',_ Issei's thought spiraled down. _I'm a giant blockhead. Who the hell would tell a girl to wait for a lifetime? If this was some sort of arrangement for a date, then I'm definitely up for being history's shittiest failure of a boyfriend._

The boy scratched his head, growled with a scowl and then spat out a mouthful of air.

"...Ddraig," Issei said as he lowered his shoulders. "...Is it really worth it, challenging the impossible?"

The dragon inside his mind had yet to answer when Issei plummeted down by his own will.

"I don't want to be separated from the people I love."

He closed his eyes and let the roaring winds envelop him. His body shook from taking the harsh winds on, and his entire weight brought him down faster to the limits his momentum could ever take him to.

"I don't want to lose the world that allowed me to meet them."

Meanwhile, the swarms of Vertexes flew up and became a tower of undulating insects.

They screamed with insatiable hungers, they opened their mouths and braced their fangs, and they prepared themselves to devour the humanoid dragon.

"Can I be even greedier than this?"

Right before the inevitable collision arrived, Issei reopened his eyes and pulled his left arm in.

He clenched his hand, formed a fist as the armor covering the back of his hand shifted to protect his knuckle – and the Welsh Dragon answered.

[That's why I'm here.] Ddraig exclaimed, [Let us grasp our own brand of happiness, partner!]


	61. Interlude - The Lost Leader

A girl raised her right hand to the sky.

The girl held her breath. As her index and middle finger lined together, they chased after a crimson starlight that eradicated countless white stars. Even so, her normal perception failed to follow after it and the girl gave up by lowering her hand down.

"What the heck are you doing?" Her junior's voice echoed off in the blowing winds that passed through the ruin of Seto Ohashi. "This is going to be our greatest battle yet. How carefree can you be, Fuu?"

 _...I know that already,_ Fuu thought as she sighed. _But I still can't believe that we're doing this, not to mention..._

"I wonder why everyone around me is moving ahead so fast." Fuu turned around, her long blond hair swaying as she faced a girl clad in red. "Can't you at least respect your elder? I need some time to prepare my heart."

"Sure you can." The brunette crossed her arms with closed eyelids. "That'd be letting the enemy regain their momentum. It's clear that Vertexes don't give a care about anything as long as a wild Longinus is around. They were made from another Longinus, after all."

Fuu took a deep breath in and sighed.

Karin was being nitpicky as always, but Fuu couldn't believe that her junior had the time and opportunity to pull out a snide remark at this kind of time.

"Are you lecturing your upperclassman, Karin?" Fuu asked.

"I'll lecture you as much as I want until you understand being a leader doesn't suit you at all."

Fuu swallowed down and narrowed her eyes.

That was a critical hit, and both of them knew that. The elder Inubouzaki sibling would have snapped back but currently, she couldn't deny the accusation from the twin-tailed girl.

The blonde honestly thought that she was hopeless, but then her junior parted her lips again.

"Fuu. Why are you still here?" Karin reopened her eyes and stared back at her senior. "If you don't want to fight, then don't. It's not like you can do anything when your Hero System isn't responding to you."

"...You're so irritable today, Karin…" Fuu forced out a smile and glared. "What about _you_ , then?"

As the sounds of rocking waves filled the atmosphere, Karin looked to her right side. She gazed at the sea, the Walls and then to the fake sun that existed because of Shinju's doing.

Fuu almost wondered what the point of keeping up the illusions was. After all, everyone already realized that they were living as sheltered flowers inside a greenhouse throughout their lives. Then, even those lives would soon be destroyed by the army of the selfish gods.

It was pointless. It would all be rendered meaningless in the end. Even so—

"…I'm here by my own will," Karin replied. "Just like Itsuki, Tougou, and that rascal up there. I have something to protect, after all."

"And what do you _still_ want to protect?"

It took a beat for Fuu to realize what she had spat out, but it was too late.

Karin's gaze had returned to Fuu in an instance. The blonde sensed her heart pounding against her ribs and she felt cold sweat dribbling down her back.

As she braced herself—

"…You really are hopeless, aren't you?"

When she realized what was going on, Karin had stepped forward and passed by Fuu.

"I don't know what's triggering you so bad," Karin muttered. "But I know that you're being upset for someone else."

"...What…"

"You're upset because of Itsuki's loss of voice, right?" Karin glanced at Fuu and looked to the city. "You were the happiest when you saw her scores after the singing test. You even jumped around and spun that poor girl around in the club room. You must be aware of how much efforts Itsuki put in singing, and hated how you couldn't do anything after she lost her voice."

 _She took note of that all…?_

"...I…" Fuu faltered, and she slowly averted her gaze away. "So what if that is true? What… what do you know, anyway?"

"Of course I know nothing. Did we even exchange stories about our past before?"

Shooting down her argument like a blade slicing a floating leaf, Fuu could only gape and stared at Karin's back.

"...Look," the junior said as she came to a halt diagonally ahead of Fuu. "Itsuki is helping the people evacuate, Tougou is preparing the ambush, Yuuna is out of commission temporarily, and the idiot flying above is bringing the Vertexes into the trap we're laying out over here while risking his own life."

Karin muttered 'The entire situation is hopeless', but the girl followed those words with 'However'.

"However," Karin repeated, making a point through repetition of the word. "As that guy said, we're still here, alive and well with enough strength to spare. Why not resolve this crisis while we still have the strength to do it?"

"…But that's—"

"Not our obligations? I know that already, you failure of a leader and senior." Karin grunted and drew out her twin swords. "If we fight and use Mankai, then we're going to lose a part of ourselves. If we don't fight, then the world will end as we watch on. Since we turned out to be immortals who can never die, we will probably be trapped in some kind of purgatory for the rest of our un-lives."

 _…Then what_ is _your point?_ Fuu growled, unable to hide her frustrations as Karin continued to lead her around like some idiot who couldn't understand a thing even after meeting death in the face. _If you know how stupid this entire situation is, then why do you bother getting yourself dragged into the troubles?_

"But Fuu, let me tell you something." Karin spun around and met Fuu's gaze for the second time. "Being depressed does _not_ suit any of us."

Without waiting for time to catch up, Karin spread her arms to the side before she stabbed the katana in her right hand to the ground before her.

"…I'm a Hero," Karin exclaimed. "But I won't fight as Miyoshi Karin, the Hero of Taisha. From now on, I'm going to fight as Miyoshi Karin, second-year member of Sanshu Middle School's Hero Club."

The girl asked Fuu if she knew what that meant, but the confused leader of the Hero Club did not even know what to think about her junior's declaration.

As several moments passed, Karin inhaled and gave an answer that pierced through the blowing winds.

"I'm going to fight to protect my friends." Karin gripped her sword tightly like a Samurai swearing her oath of loyalty and servitude. "I'm going to fight because I can't stay idly while a lot of people are risking their lives and happiness. I'll go out there alone if I have to, and I'll fight until I can restore the peace and happiness we always knew."

Fuu's eyes widened. Was Karin saying what Fuu thought? Didn't that mean she was—

"I'm not much different than Issei. But what of it?" Karin gave an upturned glance to the sky. "No one can understand how the world truly works. Why fuss about what-ifs, unexplainable things, and stuff that have already happened?"

 _And more importantly…_

"More importantly…" Karin inhaled as she looked to the side. "…I don't want to see the people I hold dear sad."

When silence dawned and stretched, a roaring noise shattered it apart.

The roar traveled through the sky. It shook the earth and halted the progress of the chaos in the heaven and earth.

The two girls turned their gazes to the sky, and they saw a red star flying toward the Seto Ohashi. The two did not speak any further, then they stared at each other as if searching for confirmation.

Karin nodded. That gesture brought Fuu to close her eyes and hold her breath for a few moments.

 _...I'm seriously losing face as the leader, aren't I?_

Fuu exhaled. She had never expected to be outpaced by her juniors and little sister. Was it because of her own carelessness? That might be so, and it might be because of that that she couldn't reach any kind of conclusion.

 _I'm a really troublesome woman,_ Fuu lamented. _And I'm such an idiot for making a fool of myself. I even got the least sociable member of the club scolding me._

She would no doubt be unable to live this shame down. As the eldest person among the group and as the leader of the group, Fuu was definitely at the bottom of the totem pole with little chances to recover.

However… whoever said that she wasn't allowed to get back up?

"…Karin," Fuu called out as she faced the city. "The two of us will be the vanguards. Can you fight against seven Vertexes at once?"

"I think I can do it if I went all-out." Karin followed Fuu's gaze and pulled out the sword stabbed into the broken concrete. "What about you? Can you handle the Starcluster until Tougou is ready?"

"I can manage that big guy all by myself. You just make sure not to mess this up."

Karin snorted as if saying 'Say that after looking into the mirror'.

In the following moment, an exceptionally strong wind struck the two from the front.

The twisted ruin of the Great Bridge groaned. The broken frame creaked and swayed, and the bells that were still latching onto the cables supporting the bridge chimed. It was as if the ruin wanted to tell the Heroes to brace themselves for combat.

 _It's certainly reassuring if I think like that,_ Fuu thought as she grabbed and discarded the black eyepatch covering her blind left eye. _Now, then…_

"…Will you lend me your strength?" The girl looked at the terminal whose screen flickered to life and displayed a symbol of a flower. "…Thank you."

As she held the Hero System against her chest, two small forms appeared next to her. One was a round blue dog and the other was a weasel with scythes as its front limbs.

The two Fairies looked up at Fuu and she quietly nodded, accepting their presences as well as aid for the sake of the upcoming battle. The girl slowly inhaled while closing both of her eyes… then she reopened them, viewing the world regardless of the loss she had been forced to carry.

"Let's go!" Inubouzaki Fuu shouted as yellow flower petals surrounded her "We, the Sanshu Middle School's Hero Club… are heading out to protect our home!"


	62. Chapter 51 - Despair

**A/N: No, I will not do any story request. I no longer have any interest in doing something like that.**

* * *

Battles broke out in many places.

Up in the heavens and down on earth, there was no place that did not possess any conflict. The sky was decorated with bursting explosions and the land was ravaged by flame and destruction.

Sounds reverberated without end. The world shook as if crying.

Amidst it all, a girl clad in green leaped from the roof of a house and dived into a crowded street.

 _I see them,_ Itsuki thought as she recognized the bug-like forms of the Stardust Vertexes. _I got you now!_

While voice did not emerge from her throat, she opened her mouth as if yelling. She swung her right arm from overhead as if throwing a ball, and the bracelet decorated with white flowers chimed as green threads shot out from them.

The shining vines cut apart the Stardusts in one move. They wrapped themselves around the white monsters as if possessing their own wills, and their deadly grips turned the Vertexes into a bunch of blocks that crumbled into white sands.

Itsuki landed in the middle of the emptied street. The girl looked up to the colorful wisps of light flying toward the black heavens beyond the barrier, and she gave a firm nod.

 _…This is all thanks to Issei-senpai,_ Itsuki told herself. _He eliminated the first batch that tried to land in the city and drew all the Stardusts away with his presence._

The plan everyone came up with had two objectives: the extermination of the Vertexes and restoration of the barrier.

The Shrine Maiden had said that Taisha would do something about the latter, so it was decided that the Hero Club would fight against the Vertexes. They would either defeat them or stall the invasion as long as they could, but fighting against an endless army of monsters was no small challenge.

 _If they're left alone, then the damage will…_

Itsuki shook her head. She purged that image out of her mind, looked to the street, viewed the dumbfounded people she had rescued and was about to tell them to evacuate when she realized that she couldn't.

The young girl opened her lips yet there was no voice. It looked as if she was taking a deep breath, but only Itsuki alone realized that she couldn't possibly communicate like a normal person from now on.

This disability would last for an eternity.

She would eventually lose all she had and become something that wasn't human if she continued to fight.

That sort of future dawned in Itsuki's mind. The sheer weight of a promised destiny that would take away everything important to her paralyzed her limbs – but the girl immediately bit her lips and shook her head furiously.

 _No,_ Itsuki thought. _No, don't think about it. Don't pay attention to it._

It was fine.

It will definitely be alright, no matter what happens from this point onward.

 _I still have something I must do,_ Itsuki vowed as she pressed her clenched right hand against her chest. _I am still here with everything that I have gained throughout my life._

Her parents' words and love were still in her heart.

Her friends' advices and smiles were still carved in her memories.

Her older sister was still supporting her from falling behind everyone.

Although there wasn't anything that had changed too much, Itsuki was aware and desired to change even that. She wished to do something more. She wanted to become something more. She wanted to stand side-by-side with everyone instead of hiding behind the shadows of her older sister.

 _In that case,_ the girl concluded. _I can still do something._

With renewed focus, Itsuki took a step forward and raised her right hand. Green vines flowed from her Hero weapon and they tangled together, forming large words that could easily be read even by the children and elderly.

'Is everyone okay?'

"…That's…" One of the people, a young man with dirt on his cheek and slightly damaged clothes trailed off. "Umm, who are… you?"

Itsuki's smile stretched unnoticeably. _It went through to them._

She was glad. She was happy that even though she could no longer speak, words could still be conveyed and reached the people she wished to communicate with. As such, Itsuki nodded, dissolved the vines and formed a new sentence in midair with them.

'Please do not worry about me,' the floating words said. 'Is there anyone that can't move or is injured? I can help carry them to the nearest shelters.'

While the townspeople seemed to be confused by Itsuki's intention, a sound of screeching tire approached the area. Everyone looked in that direction, and they saw a convoy of military trucks alongside a minibus-sized ambulance running on the lead.

When the vehicles stopped a hundred meters away from Itsuki, many people left those vehicles.

People in uniforms moved about in an organized fashion and Itsuki identified distinctive categories in the groups. They were police, soldiers, medical units and firefighters, and she also saw a small group of members of Taisha directing an order while holding a large map that would usually be used to teach students during history class.

"Inubouzaki-sama!" A member of Taisha approached, stood before Itsuki and saluted. "A thousand gratitude for your assistance, but please leave this area to us."

Itsuki blinked. The mask-wearing person possessing the voice of a man in mid twenties seemed to understand her confusion as he further explained.

"A large portion of the Hero System has been successfully reactivated," he said. "It was also patched with several new support functions thanks to the work of one of our best researcher. They allowed us to know your position and the fastest route to reach you, and your voice can also reach anyone as long as you can provide enough focus and divine power in it."

Itsuki wasn't sure of what she had learned until several beats had passed.

 _They're using my terminal as a beacon,_ the girl realized. _But… how did they know my job is evacuating the people?_

"Aya-sama informed us," the Taisha's member replied almost immediately after Itsuki conveyed her question. "Also, this is an order approved by the high-ranked members of Taisha. We are to support the Heroes and the Red Dragon Emperor without a single complaint."

Itsuki stared for a bit. Her thoughts connected together, she proceed by weaving another question in front of the masked person.

'…Even though we aren't doing this because we are Heroes?'

Upon reading the words formed by the manipulated vines, Itsuki was sure she had heard a choke that sounded between exasperation and laughter from the masked man. The tone of the voice also reminded her of a person who had resigned themselves to swallow a bitter pill they truly didn't want to.

"That is fine," the person said. "Even that is fine, Inubouzaki-sama."

As the uniformed people moved about in the background, Itsuki heard the agent of Taisha breathing out. She could never know what kind of expression the man had, but…

 _Even so, he sounds like he meant every word he just said._

However, realizing that she was wasting her time and making no progress, Itsuki decided that there could only be one last chance for her to speak with this member of Taisha. The girl wondered what she should say, but soon she settled with only a simple question.

'Will you not discard anyone I am going to save, even if it turns out to be completely hopeless?'

As seconds passed by, the member of Taisha was heard inhaling and Itsuki feared that she was being too harsh.

However—

"If that is your wish, then we will make sure nobody is left behind, Inubouzaki-sama." The mask-wearing man nodded deeply. "We will not let you down for the second time."

 _…Huh…? 'Second time'…?_

As a particularly strong wind blew, the ground shook and an ear-piercing sound of explosion crossed through the air. Itsuki looked back, catching sight of black smokes and orange glows surrounding them, and also the descending Vertexes.

"Please hurry along," the agent of Taisha urged. "Go, now. Don't waste your time, Inubouzaki-sama!"

Inhaling air through her mouth, Itsuki gave a nod, bowed down and then jumped onto a house's roof several hundred meters away from the street. She immediately leaped again and approached her next destination.

As winds wrapped around her limbs and she oversaw the city consumed by chaos and destruction, the girl glanced over her shoulder. Itsuki sucked in air through her mouth – and she sped up.

She no longer looked back.

* * *

At another place, Fuu leaped into the sky.

With all of her strength, it was easy to reach the clouds and it was more convenient than having to build up enough acceleration and jumping afterwards. Fuu liked it when things were simple to understand.

 _The plan is,_ Fuu recalled. _It's done in several battlefronts._

The advance scout was Issei who had fulfilled his job in record time. The search-and-rescue operation was headed by her little sister, and the clean-up of the remaining stragglers were given to Karin. Fuu's role was to act as a wall that would make sure that the Leo Starcluster did not support its allies or even be aware of their secret weapon.

Unfortunately, it would have been easier had the Starcluster not stay high above like some arrogant god looking down on its puny subjects.

"Well then…" Fuu slashed through a Stardust and embedded her great sword into several that existed beyond it. "Here I come!"

Using the Vertexes and the giant blade as footing, Fuu ran to the tip of the sword and jumped from the edge.

Sounds of destruction rang out behind her and the shadows latching onto her clothes and body rippled as light ascended from behind her.

Fuu did not remove her focus from the Starcluster.

"Try this!" The girl shouted, moved her right arm and flexing in the forearm to the side of her head.

Throwing knives appeared in the gaps between her fingers. They had charms wrapped around their hilts and they held symbols that seemed to signify something like a crescent moon.

She threw the knives at the mountain-like Vertex.

The Leo Starcluster unleashed a tirade of fireballs. Once Fuu got a closer look at them, she realized the fireballs were made from Stardusts that passed through the curtain of flame that expanded behind the Starcluster.

Her eyes rounded up. _Suicide bombers!?_

"…But don't think I haven't prepared a counter just for you!"

While she was in midair, she ought to have been in huge disadvantage. Even so, Fuu simply summoned another great sword, let go of it and used the flat side of the blade as a jumping platform.

Repeating her action allowed her to close the distance. Her throwing knives provided by the Fairy Kamaitachi struck true to their targets and the girl pierced through any form of defense her enemy tried to use.

The moment the distance shrunk to a hundred meters, the Leo Starcluster _screamed._

Fuu made a surprised sound. She felt her ears ringing and she winced as the unpleasant sound echoed like scratches on a blackboard. Furthermore, the longer she listened, the more unpleasant the noise became.

 _This thing…!_

It was trying to distract her. As she was staggered by the unprecedented attack, the Leo Starcluster prepared a ring of fire around its spiked rings. Unlike before, the fireballs were in full circle, numbering in several dozens and burning blue.

When they fired, they shot out like rays of light.

"Nha—"

Explosions rapidly blossomed in the sky.

Smokes and fire danced, the winds roared as they impacted the city and the Seto Inland Sea, and the Starcluster immediately followed by firing additional guided streams of fireballs.

The barrage of bullets did not stop. It wouldn't stop. It never stopped.

There was no sound coming from the Hero clad in yellow. It was impossible anyway, as the explosions overwhelmed all sounds to the point of shattering many glasses and windows throughout Sakaide.

As a result, the earth trembled as the skies were filled with black mist that rained down ashes.

"…Not… yet!"

Bursting through the black clouds, Fuu roared out with a colossal sword swinging down from above her head. Her outfit was burned in several parts and ashes and wounds painted her body.

Even so, the girl charged and cut down one of the two towering pillars that made up the curtain of fire.

Her success evened the fields. The Starcluster could no longer use the curtain of fire but the Vertex's scream did not stop. The blue rays also did not stop streaming out and they knocked away Fuu's weapon by the hilt.

"Agh!?" Chain of cracking sounds spread as her joints snapped with her fingers bent in odd directions.

Fuu repressed a scream from forming as Inugami flashed by her side. The Fairy's protection was broken through, and Fuu had an idea why when she recalled the cutoff connection between Taisha and the local leylines.

 _Shinju-sama is… growing weaker._

How much power did the conglomeration of Earthly Gods still have? How much time before the energy fueling the Hero System run out?

Fuu was now an immortal, but that did not mean she could not be injured. The Fairy's blessings allowed Heroes to fight at peak condition, but it was limited only to keeping the state of the body at optimum without being able to give extra healings or buffs.

The clock was ticking.

Time was running out.

The ending was fast approaching.

"…Even… so…!"

Memories were recalled. Voices from the past reached her as Fuu's vision blotted out with dark spots.

The girl gnashed her teeth and summoned another sword behind her.

She flipped her body, landed on the flat side of the sword, placed all of her weight to the soles of her feet as she crouched…

The girl leaped.

"Even so…!" Fuu howled. "You think you can stop _me_ with just that!?"

With her broken hands she gripped a new sword. With all of her strength the girl swung her weapon down upon the abomination sent by the gods to eradicate all life-forms...

But in the next moment, a bright red sphere of light filled the sky and dispersed all the clouds above Shikoku.

* * *

The winds roared. White and red lines coursed through the air and the damages on the fake sky accelerated.

It was falling apart with many pieces of it descending all over Shikoku. As if anticipating them, however, green vines shot up, wrapped around the shattered pieces and threw them toward the sea just in time. Even then, more and more pieces of the sky were crumbling and the vines could only hold and reach so much of the falling fragments of the heavens.

"Itsuki…!" Karin shouted as she redirected her feet from chasing after the Constellation Vertexes.

Her movement was frantic. Even so, she held enough control to progress continuously, but as if her mind was read, Stardusts descended and blocked her way.

Karin immediately sidestepped, sliced a Stardust when she flicked her right wrist, reversed her grip on her sword and stabbed into the face of another Stardust who tried to bite into her back. At the same time, her other hand slashed through seven Stardusts with a horizontal swing of her sword.

When the wind died down, Karin almost thought her hearing had been plucked off. She could only hear static and a continuous ringing sound that shook her brain; it was as if her head was dunked into a box of cold water with ice.

However, her eyes could still see movements in the world so Karin leaped over a lunging Stardust, cut it apart with a spinning slash and dashed to the other side of the building's rooftop she was at.

Her legs were slow. Her vision was wavering. These were side-effects caused by the sudden explosion and it was affecting her performance sharply.

 _"Why,_ Karin thought as she leaped off from the edge of the rooftop. _What is this sensation!?_

The girl looked up and saw the source of the anomaly.

"That… sphere…!" Karin gasped as a familiar artificial sun eclipsed the fake sun and the moon of the Outside World. "Is it going to absorb the other Vertexes again!?"

Did Fuu fail? Was her friend already defeated and now the Leo Starcluster had decided to enter battle seriously?

Despite the many possibilities running through Karin's mind, something changed and the artificial sun suddenly burst like a popped balloon.

No one could understand what was going on. Many eyes watched as the shadows and mist left behind by the second explosion veiled the broken sky, and the moment they dissipated…

Karin saw them.

"...No way…"

Four figures existed in the sky.

On top of the eight enemies that had already been there, four more shapes joined the ranks and completed a set of twelve constellations.

"Wh… why did the Starcluster break out of its combination?!" Karin came to a stop as she stared at the Vertexes. "What are they doing…?"

Her heart throbbed in an unpleasant way that sent shudders down her spine.

Cold chills could be felt, and Karin thought that something was about to happen. It was a premonition but it was also illogical as she did not wish things to get worse.

Even so, something was happening and the Vertexes floated higher than ever instead of following the lead that had brought them so close to the city.

They circled around, all twelve forms with the Stardusts moving around outside the ring as if acting like walls. Their altitude was too high for a Hero to reach and Issei had already exhausted his Over Boost.

 _But what are they going to do?_

In the first five seconds, the circular formation was successfully created.

In the sixth second, the twelve Constellation Vertexes let loose bestial screams that reached the unblemished moon.

In the tenth second, the earth shook alongside the ocean.

The air rumbled while the moon shining down on Shikoku seemed to have increased its brightness. In the midst of it all, a pillar of light crossed the black sky, reached the moon and formed into an object no one could ever predict.

* * *

Kokudou Aya looked up.

With Yuuki Yuuna rested in her embrace, the Shrine Maiden sitting while leaning against the divine tree craned her head.

Her voice died in her throat.

Her eyes widened to the very limits.

The hairs on her skin stood on ends and as her eyes reflected the figure of a blazing lance that resembled both a dragon and a weapon. A sentence emerged from the depth of her psyche that was linked with the Earthly Gods.

"...Ah… Aah…"

Information was provided. Words whispered in fear and terror touched her mind. Even so, the voices of the Land Gods guided her into a record that first emerged 300 years ago.

"That… is… That weapon is…"

It was a tool given by the great beings that preceded even the Heavenly Gods. It stirred the ocean, formed crusts of earth and created something from the void.

However, unlike its legend suggested, that tool was used to destroy the world, clinched the end of the Era of Christianity, and rebuilt the world into a place that favored no mortal beings.

Among the many names it carried, one particular name stood out. Aya's complexion paled, her limbs numbed by the sheer terror latching onto her core of being, and her heart felt as if it had stopped beating.

However—

However, the Shrine Maiden parted her lips and forced her voice to be heard by the world. In the garden of the gods, surrounded by flowers that hung down their crowns and petals – Kokudou Aya spoke out.

"The Conceptual Divine Weapon… Ame-no-Nuboko…!"


	63. Chapter 52 - Bonds of Love

It was a weapon.

It had no will of its own and it lacked the freedom reserved only for its creators and users. It was a tool meant to fulfill a duty, and the duty was to cleanse the tarnished ones of their sins and impurities.

It was known as a purification tool.

As the twelve constellations lined together, their cries reached the heavens. Words were unnecessary to understand the truth, and the tool was awakened after 300 years had passed. Upon seeing the world it had helped to create, and upon reaching the place it was summoned at, it listened to the cries of the stars and obtained their knowledge.

Those who once rebelled against the victors of history had taken up their arms once again.

Those who desired salvation and mercy for the tainted existences had grown new fangs and obtained a Godslayer.

Those who protected and sorrowfully offered six flowers to Takamagahara had chosen to resist once again.

The weapon rearranged its database. The Earthly Gods had lost their authority, stripped of their power and imprisoned in the land of the roots. They no longer possessed the appropriate power to manifest themselves individually and they had become an existence that would fade as time went by; just like a wilting tree.

The weapon possessed no heart, but as the tool of the Gods, it carried their will and expressed their emotions.

Anger. Interests. Hatred. Love. Madness. Disgust… Waves of emotions filled the tool, fueled it to organize its priority and activate its fundamental mechanism. As soon as the process was finished, it transformed itself to better suit its role and changed its angle so as to look down on the barren earth devoid of pure and complete life.

It would strike down the sinners that pretentiously believed that their subjects possessed the rights to choose their destiny.

It would annihilate their hopes, obtain their essences and conquer the defeated land just like before.

It would fulfill its duty as a weapon, and it would yet again blanket the earth with scorching hell, just like what it had once done to the lands ruled by the defeated fellow gods.

And so, under Tsukuyomi's light, the Heavenly Jeweled Spear began its descent.

* * *

"What is… what is that…?"

To the question of a young boy who looked up to the sky, Itsuki could not give any clear answer. She looked back, finding the gazes of a dozen people she had rescued from the shopping district.

They were full of anxiety and apprehension. It made Itsuki gulp as she tried to form words in the air with her vines. Midway through, she stopped as a thought occurred to her.

 _It's no use,_ the small voice said. _It's no use, everything will end regardless, so…_

Itsuki shook her head. She dispelled the thoughts and faced the townspeople. Her Fairy, Kodama, was right beside her and she wasn't alone in this crisis.

 _I can still do something._

With such thoughts, Itsuki wrote words that told the people to find shelters. She reassured them by telling them rescues would arrive, but when she thought her business was finished – she felt a hand tugging on her dress.

"Wh-where are you going?" The child who raised the question from earlier asked. "Y-you're going to be with us, right? What can you do against something like that…?!"

As the girl stared at him, she and everyone else around noticed something prominent about the boy.

Maybe the boy was too caught up in the moment, but Itsuki realized that the hand tugging on her coattail was trembling. The boy's clothing was dirty from falling to the ground several times, and his cheeks had bruises and scrapes as proof of his struggle to run away from the Vertexes.

He was afraid. He was hoping that someone would be there for him. He was scared and he wanted comfort in hope of alleviating that feeling.

That caused Itsuki to pause. She looked briefly to the group of people, nodded down and split her focus to convey a message while she looked at the young boy in the eyes. She heard several gasps and some murmurs but she ignored it all.

Itsuki formed a soft smile. She gazed with slightly narrowed eyes, and she brushed the child's cheeks off the dirt. The child winced but Itsuki messaged him to bear with it until she was finished.

Once she did, Itsuki weaved a question out.

'Can you stay with the others?'

The boy hitched as if forgetting to breathe. Itsuki simply continued on by showing her next thought.

'It's okay,' the words made from tangled vines said. 'You can do it. You are older than the other children, so make sure to protect them.'

"B-But… I don't want to!" The child shouted. "I… I can't… and, and what about…"

Itsuki craned her head. She looked up as the pillar of light picked up speed. It was falling faster than before and it was accelerating in its descent.

There was no time, so Itsuki chose to give her next words.

'Then it's fine. If you know your limits, you can do what you're best at.'

The girl stood up as the child gave a confused look. Her smile persisted, and she patted the boy as her lips parted open.

There were no words. She couldn't hope to say something at this point on. Even so, as the child watched, his expression shifted and he looked up with a dumbfounded face.

Before he could form a response, Itsuki pushed the boy toward the group of people, bowed down and hastily headed toward a certain direction.

The girl accelerated. She moved as fast as the winds by putting all of her power into her limbs. She approached her destination as the sky lit up while at the same time darkened, and she held the words that pushed her forward deep into her heart.

She remembered the faces of her friends. She recalled the words and smile of her older sister, and she reminded herself of that small club room that had become a precious place she wished to protect.

 _I will do what I can do,_ Itsuki decided as she glared at the descending pillar of light. _So I will protect this place we call home…!_

* * *

Somewhere close to the border separating Marugame and Sakaide, the ruin of a toppled building stood firm despite receiving the ire of the winds.

 _Ahh… I want to sleep._

A thought crossed a girl's mind when she came to. The world was spotty at best, her limbs were as heavy as lead, and fierce heat that stung her entire body washed over her. It was unbelievable how she could think up such frivolous thoughts considering her current state.

 _That's bright,_ the girl thought as she tried to fill her lungs with fresh air. _Is someone shining a light on my face…?_

A wet sensation brushed her cheek.

It was like a nudge, and it happened repeatedly as awareness gradually came to her. It was difficult just to turn her head, but she succeeded and her right eye spotted the blue fur of a round dog.

"...Inu...ga...mi…?" Fuu breathed in. "...I… passed out, huh?"

The Fairy that blessed her with the greatsword equipment ignored her question and simply licked her face.

It was nice, cool, and prickling. Fuu honestly thought of patting the Fairy but she couldn't raise her left arm no matter how much she tried to. Why?

When she looked down, she realized that something huge and solid was on top of her. From her left side to both of her legs, a piece of the ruined building had fallen and crushed her within the rubble.

"...Ah," Fuu made a sound, seemingly not surprised by her predicament. "...This is… bad, isn't it?"

What was she supposed to do now?

Her Fairies kept her alive with their blessings and protection. Fuu had also used Mankai, so she would not die. Despite that, she healed like a normal human would, she could still be wounded in some ways, and her transformation had been undone; probably because of the shock and damage dealt with her.

 _What should I do…?_

Just as Fuu heaved, her spotty vision observed the descending arrow of light. It was more like a pillar falling from the sky. Its mere appearance made every hair on Fuu's skin stand on end.

Fear encroached onto her. Dread consumed her, and the girl tried to lift her body because her instinct was commanding her to flee from that pillar of light. However…

"...Is that…?"

She saw green threads striking the sky.

They flew and created small columns in the sky. It was like a floating stairway and someone was using those hastily made platforms to climb the heavens.

"...Itsuki…?"

Her little sister was approaching the twelve Constellations Vertexes. She repelled any incoming Stardust, created platforms one after another to climb even higher and eventually, she reached her desired destination.

It was a kilometer below the circular formation of Vertexes, and right in the center of it.

"What… are you…"

Itsuki manifested a disc of green made from vines to help her stand on an even footing. The disc was supported by three pillars of vine that extended all the way down to the ground, and the towering structure built through the divine power of the Shinju stood like a shrine stage where rituals were performed and offered to the deity of the shrine.

Standing on such stage was her little sister. It was hard to know what she was doing, but her arms were spread wide as the girl looked up. She did not tremble in fear as the pillar of light picked up speed, and then—

"…Don't… tell me…"

Fuu began to move as soon as a thought crossed her mind. She couldn't use her arms, so she raised her body and tried to pull her limbs out of the rubble.

It turned out to be futile. Fuu tried to slip out of the ruin but it was also useless. She wanted to transform but her hands had lost all feelings, and no matter how much she willed it, nothing happened.

 _What should I do?_

Did she have no other choice but to give up? Was this the end of the road for her?

 _Of course… not!_

The girl gritted her teeth as she forced out her strength. She felt something creaking. She sensed immense pain washing over her, swallowed down her scream, and desired for one thing.

Even if it was just a step forward, that would be fine.

"Please…"

She had to make it. She definitely would make it. She could do it, so—

"Let me make it in time…!"

* * *

Karin sprinted toward the stage made of vines as fast as she could.

However, the Stardusts were preventing her from taking the shortcuts. They knew that reinforcement would mean trouble and they blocked Karin's way as much as possible by throwing numbers at her.

As she paved a path toward that stage, a thought came to her.

If that pillar of light was a secret weapon of the Vertexes, why didn't they use it in the first place?

She easily reached an answer. It was because of Shinju's barrier. Without it, they could finally use the weapon that resembled a falling meteorite.

 _Then,_ another thought appeared. _If that is so, why are the twelve Vertexes forming a circular formation?_

Karin held her breath as she jumped over a fallen building and landing in an abandoned shopping district. She saw nothing but ruins as she dashed forward, trying to ignore her surrounding in hope of not getting distracted.

All the while, her thought reached another conclusion.

 _They have to maintain their positions to ensure the pillar can do its job._

Were the Vertexes required to fulfill some criteria? Could it be that they must not be harmed or else something unfavorable would happen to them? If so, what Itsuki intended to do was—

"You idiot…!" Karin shouted as she accelerated even further. "You can't…! Don't do anything reckless, Itsuki…!"

She had to help her. She couldn't allow anyone to shoulder the burden by themselves. She wouldn't allow that, but…

The moment Karin exited the abandoned district, a white form suddenly emerged from the shadows of an alley. It was exceedingly fast that not even Karin could react in time.

The thing rammed itself into her left side.

Karin was thrown into an abandoned store. The glass doors shattered and the interiors of the store were smashed apart as the minibus-sized Vertex continued in pursuit.

Sounds of destruction echoed as piles of dirt and splinters scattered everywhere.

The mindless yet driven beast screeched as it rampaged with the intention to consume flesh and blood and it plowed through everything as it could never be matched by anything made by human hand. But in the following moment, a kick struck the teeth of the Stardust and blew it out of the store.

The Vertex was followed by a thrown sword that lodged deep into its body and exploded like a bomb.

Consumed by a blazing conflagration, the Stardust could only scream as it burned to nothing but a dark stain, and the Hero clad in red stepped out of the ruined store while heaving roughly.

Karin looked at the stage where her fellow Hero struggled. She gritted her teeth at the time she had wasted, at the wounds she had accumulated, and she looked around as more enemy reinforcement descended to surround her.

"Disappear…!" Karin roared as she flew and stabbed a Stardust with her sword. "Get out of my sight, you bastards…!"

* * *

Before the pillar of light pierced through the ring of the twelve Vertexes, the sky darkened. The system that managed the current world was collapsing.

No one could ever hope to stop it. It was an inevitable destiny brought forth by various factors. Whether or not it would happen now or in the distant future, all of that no longer mattered.

However, the rate of ruination accelerated when the pillar of light descended.

As the tip of the pillar passed through the barrier, hot winds spread across Shikoku. Thunders clapped as golden branches ran across the blackened sky while bestial cries filled the air. The cacophony of noise heightened the chaos and the people fled without a sense of direction.

Amidst it all, a voice asked.

"...Is there no way to stop this?"

Another voice replied.

"I do not know. But, you want to end this battle... no?"

The owner of the rough and exhausted voice nodded. He couldn't lift his head because his stamina had been burned out completely, but he was recovering steadily. Now, his only duty was to support his friend and increase the chances of success, but—

"...I wish for our battle to end," his companion whispered as she held his hand tightly. "I fight because I wish to protect our daily life and my friends. I claim that I am a Hero merely because I desire to be with my precious ones. I do not need praises, rewards, mankind's gratitude, the world, or anything else as long as I can protect what I have gained until now."

The boy held his breath. He did not know what to say, and he wasn't sure if he could even say what he wanted to properly. However, he felt the warmth transferred through a touch of his hand and strength gradually coursed through his entire body.

It eased his mind. The mere realization that he was not alone provided blissful comfort he didn't know he craved for, but…

"...I wanted to save you."

His companion froze over as the weight of those words reached her.

"Even though I know that it's already too late…" The boy inhaled. "I kept on thinking like this. If only I came here earlier… If only I could meet you all earlier. If only…"

 _If only I could be here two years ago, all of this wouldn't have—_

"...Do you... regret your choice…?"

The girl asked and he turned his gaze to her. He locked his gaze with hers, her hand squeezed his, and he smelled the scent of a flower as the girl's long black hair fluttered in the warm winds.

He knew that this wasn't the time, but he couldn't help to stare long at the sight before him. With the glittering sea as the backdrop and with the fake sky resembling a stained glass panel… the boy let himself be mesmerized by the girl standing in the center of it all.

It took him a short while to rethink his thoughts. It was hard not to, considering his rapidly beating heart, but he immediately responded as soon as he found what he believed as the correct answer.

"...I suppose," the boy said. "But, I can't allow myself to live in the past."

"…Why is that?"

"Because that'd taint the promise and bonds I've made with all of you."

The girl stared back at him and breathed in. She placed her left hand on her bosom and cast her gaze down. The moment she looked up...

"...Then," she said. "Will you believe in us?"

As the bringer of calamity approached, the boy's eyes widened.

However, they quickly narrowed and it took two breaths for his mind to process what he had heard. In the end, all he could do was spread his lips into a troubled smile.

"...You're so unfair." He said.

"Do you dislike it?" The girl asked. "I will not deny that I am a fickle woman. I am so wicked I thought that I could prevent you from standing here if I used your reason against you. And I am talking with you like this because I hope that I can convince you from hurting yourself more."

 _...Then…_

"If that's the case…" The boy turned his gaze away from the girl and stared at the pillar of light. "I'll have to be even more willful than you. I'll go against you if you want to leave me, and I'll drag you with me even if the future we're heading to ends in desolation."

When he heard a sigh, he thought it was full of disappointment. However, he picked up small differences and they told him that it was a different sigh that he rarely heard. Was it joy?

"If you will go that far, please take responsibility. After all…" the girl turned her head and followed his gaze. "All of us are here because we desire the same thing you do."

 _So, please…_

"...Please watch over us to the very end, Issei-san."

As the girl squeezed his hand one more time, a bright white light burst in the sky above Sakaide. It scattered green flower petals, rocked the ocean waves, and erased numerous Stardusts that were too close to it.

The twelve Vertexes shrieked as if surprised. They faltered, and the descending pillar of the light visibly slowed for an instant. It was as if it had hesitated and sensed fear washing over it.

Then, as if proving that fear to be the truth… a miracle cascaded open.

All eyes witnessed its birth as it flourished with dazzling splendors. The blowing winds brought the sounds of ringing bells, the scattered light and flower petals put out the flames that ruined the land and they eradicated the bug-like abominations crafted by the godly beings without exception.

Within the aerial battlefield separating the heavens from the earth – a flower of light bloomed.


	64. Interlude - Brilliance of This Moment

_I'm not scared._

For some reasons, that thought appeared in her mind when she stood right under the nose of her enemies. She was all by herself and she was standing right in the path of the falling pillar of light.

 _Even so,_ Itsuki thought as hordes of Stardusts swarmed their ways toward her. _Even so, I'm not scared._

The girl swung her right arm. Her white dress fluttered as the golden rings behind her back shifted in place. In the next moment, hundreds of shining threads scattered and pierced through the horde of Vertexes.

 _I can do this,_ the girl thought. _Even if it's in a different way, I can still protect everyone._

Her arms danced as she spun around. On the stage glowing with whitish green light, Itsuki looked as if she was dancing as she commanded her weapon to eliminate her enemies.

The girl started to build up momentum. As more and more Stardusts flew off the ruined towns across Shikoku, the sky was blotted out by their number. From the East to the West, from the North to the South… the hero girl was surrounded by enemies.

 _Even so… I'm not scared._

The girl fought all by herself. Her vision was blocked by the bursting colorful light as she guided her divine weapon to destroy all of her enemies.

She gave no mercy.

The sky thinned out. The countless army of the Vertexes were reduced to two-thirds of it originally amount, and still Itsuki continued to move along the stage. The girl continued to attack without rest, and she eventually looked up as the pillar of light reached the same level the Constellation Vertexes were at.

It had accelerated even more. Its shape had not changed, what with the humongous size that could easily span over ten kilometers in radius. With the velocity and momentum it had, the pillar purely made from unknown energy was definitely capable of sinking the island of Shikoku.

 _I can't allow that,_ Itsuki decided as she took a deep breath in. _I won't allow that to happen._

She spread her arms to the sides and focused her mind on the unimaginable furnace of strength linked to her soul. The conceptual record the Shinju possessed was directly accessed and Itsuki retrieved a certain plan that might allow her to fulfill her promise.

The girl nodded. Her second Fairy – a dark round spirit with green tendrils as hair and a mirror as a head decoration – Ungaikyou materialized right beside her instead of Kodama. She glanced at it, understood the power the Fairy possessed, and came to a decision.

 _...Here I go._

Itsuki extended her right arm to the shining heavens. She glared at the pillar of light designed for the destruction of her home and the people she held dear, but hatred did not cloud her vision or even her mind.

 _I will defend the present,_ the girl thought as the divine power she had absorbed accumulated. _I will be the first to go ahead instead of following the shadows left behind by everyone…!_

Her older sister chose to fight even though she held a burden that was crushing her. Her friends chose to struggle even though they knew that this war would never stop… but what about her?

What would she choose? What did she seek? The answer was surprisingly simple. It so easily dawned on her mind and brought a smile to her face.

 _That's why I will…!_

Itsuki called out for the power to heed her command. Ungaikyou dissolved into green flower petals and they suddenly moved as if possessing their own wills.

The scattering flower petals fused together and formed a shield of light above Itsuki.

 _It's here,_ Itsuki thought as she recalled the ability of her second Fairy.

The spirit was a Tsukumogami. It was a tool that had existed for so long it gained sentience and power that defied common sense. It was said to reflect the truth of those who looked upon it, but as a Fairy, it possessed a defensive ability to block any attack and reflect them.

Itsuki did not hesitate to increase the shield of light's size. As the mirror-like defensive armament expanded, the Constellation Vertexes trembled as if they realized her plan.

They attacked. Itsuki gasped as the Leo, Sagittarius, Virgo, and Aquarius showered the green stage with their ranged attacks. Bullets and needles chipped the platform made from vines while pressurized water blasted through a chunk of the pillar that supported it.

Itsuki's vision tilted. Her balance was shaken, but she stood her ground. She expanded the shield to fully cover the stage and she felt the feedback beating on her as bullets and explosives rained down upon it.

 _Not… yet…! This isn't the end!_

Diving into the conceptual record Shinju possessed even deeper than before, the girl drew out the divine power from the reservoirs and used it to create a second shield on top of the first one.

The copies continued to appear one after another.

Like books stacking on top of each other, the reflective shield piled up. It continued to stack up until a million shields stood between the Vertexes' attack and Itsuki, and underneath all of it, the girl heaved as strength left her limbs.

She fell to her knees. Sweat dribbled down her skins while her complexion turned as pale as a drowned corpse. It also didn't help that her mind was drifting away as she could not feel the heat of her own body.

It was then she realized what she had lost in exchange for Blooming.

 _...I can't feel it,_ Itsuki realized. _I can't feel my body temperature, the vines beneath me, or even the winds._

What did the wind feel like again? Was it hot, or was it warm? What did the air feel like when it touched her skin? Was it dry? Was it humid? Was it rough or was it soft?

Itsuki did not know. She could not be certain, and she realized she was no longer capable of thinking along that line. Her dress began to dissolve into white light while the overflowing strength was sapped away from her body.

Even so – the girl crumpled her hands tight and forced herself to stand up.

With great efforts she accomplished her desire. Itsuki looked up as the endless bombardment impacted her shields and gradually destroyed them. She had to be quick, or else everything would end in vain.

 _I can… do it,_ the girl believed. _I can… do this…!_

She summoned the divine strength of the Land Gods. Light embraced her as a flower of light bloomed with her floating in the center of it, and Itsuki touched the surface of the shield.

The girl parted her lips. _Go…!_

At her behest, the shields rapidly expanded, multiplied themselves and shot up to the heavens.

They smashed themselves at the falling pillar of light. They struck… and they exploded into fragments of light.

 _Aaahh…!?_

Itsuki cried out. Even without her voice, her expression distorted to show the painful feedback she had received. The shields of light were a part of her equipment as a Hero; at the same time, they were also an extension of herself.

The girl cried out as burning pain assaulted her. Every inch of her body screamed in agony while her head felt like it was splitting apart. It was unbearably painful.

 _Even… so…!_

With those two words, the girl refused to fall. She did not cower, she did not retreat, and she kept up her shields faithfully.

As the pillar of light came to a halt, Itsuki thought she had stopped it.

However, she realized that it was simply slowing down. The pillar of light intensified its brightness as shockwave spread across the sky.

An invisible force as heavy as a sledgehammer struck Itsuki. Again and again, the moment her shields shattered, the feedback was sent back to her and she received the brunt of the damage that hurt many times worse than the Leo's infernal miniature sun.

 _It hurts. It hurts. It's painful. Please stop it…!_

The pain wracking her body and soul was too much. She couldn't contain it and yet nobody could ever hope to hear her voice.

She was all alone. She was fighting by herself, and she was losing. It was clear that she couldn't hope to win this defensive battle in the first place.

 _Then,_ a part of her whispered. _Why aren't you giving up?_

Why? Why accepting pain when you can run away from it? There was no shame in running away. No one liked to feel pain and be sad.

The world would not allow Itsuki, Fuu, and her friends from living in peace. The broken world that had long already ended possessed no value in protecting when there was nothing else that could be protected.

So why wouldn't she give up? Why was she here, resisting against the forces of Heaven?

 _...Because…_

Why was she acting like an idiot by fighting against destiny? Why bother struggling when there was nothing that could be changed? It was no use, worthless. There was no value at all.

So… why…?

 _Because I_ , the girl's thought continued on. _I'm still here…!_

Yes. That's right. That's the correct answer.

 _It doesn't matter even if it's hopeless,_ the girl told her cowardly self as she infused even more divine power into Ungaikyou's shields of light. _It doesn't matter even if there's nothing waiting for us in the future…_

Both her and her family were still around. Her friends and the townspeople she loved were still there. The place she was born in and the home her parents had tried to protect still existed right below her feet.

 _So I'll fight,_ the girl decided. _I'll fight even if it's useless. I'll resist and deny the destiny arbitrarily set upon us. We will always refuse the selfish judgment of the Gods… and we will overcome it!_

As the first in line, the girl would defend everyone from the raining judgment of the Gods. She would protect all that she held dear. She had once made a vow and now she would fulfill it without fail.

 _Take it,_ Itsuki shouted to the beings who continued to watch over the people of her homeland. _Take whatever you want. Take all but my life if you must._

In exchange for that...

 _Lend me the power to protect everyone!_

It was then light blossomed all around her.

Itsuki's feet felt strangely light. She felt calmness washing over her as her mind cleared up, and she realized that the painful feedback no longer reached her. What had happened?

The answer to her confusion appeared in the form of a voice.

" _It's okay_."

Even though she could not feel the warmth, the girl recognized the touch of a human arm circling around her back and pressing on her shoulder.

 _I know that voice,_ the girl thought. _I've been hearing that voice for as long as I can remember. I like that voice, and I know who the owner of that voice is._

Itsuki's eyes blurred.

A burst of emotions overwhelmed her body. It surpassed the pain and agony she had to endure. It shattered the dark intentions bogging her feet down as a yellow and red figure stepped in front of her.

"I'm here with you," a girl with long blonde hair said while summoning an enormous sword to act as a shield above her and Itsuki. "Your older sister is here… and our friends are still fighting with us, so…"

 _That's right, we…!_

"Don't give up, Itsuki!"

Itsuki extended her right arm to the heavens as far as she could as if to grasp the sky.

Both of her Fairies manifested, their powers overlapping to reinforce the tower of shields halting the descent of the pillar of light, but Itsuki knew that she was just stalling for the inevitable.

 _In that case…!_

One of her shields shattered while the hundreds below them suddenly tilted a few degrees below to one side. The pillar of light rapidly broke through them all and scattered fragments of light everywhere. The descent of the divine weapon of the gods could not be stopped, but Itsuki acted in time and touched the flat side of Fuu's great sword when Fuu was about to defend the two with it.

"Itsuki—!?"

Before Fuu could finish her sentence, reflective shields gathered together and wrapped around the great sword. The mirror-like shields of light layered over each other and condensed together, creating a sheath that shone as bright as the flash of daybreak.

Fuu stared in disbelief at the action of her younger sister. Even so, she immediately understood and nodded in acknowledgment.

As the two Inubouzaki siblings stood side-by-side, the older sister released a yell that echoed throughout the heavens and earth.

She wielded her great sword with both of her hands. Despite the deep red color staining the sleeves of her Mankai garments, and even though anyone could tell that the girl could hardly stand on her own two feet, Fuu swung her weapon as the last reflective shield protecting her and Itsuki shattered into pieces.

The two weapons collided.

"Agh! Ngh… aaaaaAAAAAAHHHH!"

Both Fuu and Itsuki fell to one knee. They couldn't endure the sheer pressure the pillar of light emitted.

The weapon had exceeded the sound barrier several times. It was also shrouded in violent shockwaves that could easily mangle a flesh and blood human.

However, neither Fuu nor Itsuki were normal humans anymore.

They used their immortal bodies as a crutch, they stood up as they lean on each other, and the two girls gazed straight at the blinding light from the heavens.

 _We'll use it,_ Itsuki shouted out her intention even though no voice came out of her throat. _We'll use everything we have to fight, to resist… and to survive! So...!_

"Don't…!" Fuu yelled. "Underestimate, the Hero Club…!"

As the two exerted all of their remaining strength in one-go, the great sword coated in light flipped around, facing the pillar of light with the flat side of the blade. Two sources of light clashed, dispersed sparks while the battlefield violently shook ceaselessly.

At the end of it—

"Make iiiiiiittt!"

With the sound of shattered glass – a blinding explosion of light filled the sky and the heavenly weapon was repelled back to the heavens.


	65. Chapter 53 - Passion

An impossibility had happened.

Many eyes hidden in the black night witnessed a pillar of light fired back toward the heavens. That should have been impossible, as that pillar was a Conceptual Divine Weapon; a tool wielded by the Gods.

However, reality could not be questioned.

It had happened, and the pillar of light rotated as it ascended above the atmosphere. Winds took the shapes of white lines while waves of turbulence shrouded the divine weapon as it blazed a straight path toward the moon.

The pillar struck it.

The surface of the planet's satellite was shaken by devastating cyclones produced from the impact. The moon trembled as the point of impact caved in, formed a deep crater, and was consumed by a layer of molten lava. All the meanwhile, clouds of dirt and rocks rose around them, their sizes exceeding even a towering cumulonimbus.

Even though no sounds could possibly travel through space, thunders clapped.

The dense clouds surrounding the pillar glowed with eerie red and gold colors. A violent thunderstorm formed, and further devastation spread around the moon as if trying to consume the barren satellite entirely. Why? How could that be?

The answer was simple: because the pillar of light was a weapon that exceeded any and all sorts of physical limitations. The observed situation occurred merely because the Ame-no-Nuboko had begun its primary mechanism as a Conceptual Armament; creating life from nothingness.

At the same time, that spectacle caused a myriad of changes. The all-knowing yet egotistical beings rose from their thrones, the despaired ones witnessed a miracle, and those who searched for an undestroyed future gazed with newfound hope.

As time marched on, the rusty gears began to move once again. The world will move. It is time for history to change, so hurry. Hurry.

 _The pioneers of a new age are here—_

* * *

The winds roared.

Piercing through them, a red blur caught two falling figures and landed on the roof of a building.

"Fuu! Itsuki!" Karin shook her two friends' shoulders. "Hey! Are you okay!? Can you hear me!?"

She feared that none of them would answer, but the older girl groaned and opened her eyes. For some reasons, her left eye remained closed as she held her breath for several moments.

"…The…" Fuu muttered. "…The enemies… are they still around…? What about… Itsuki…?"

The voice of the girl was hoarse and weak. It sounded as if she was scraping every ounce of energy she had just to speak, and Karin tightened her lips into a thin line as she spotted Fuu's bleeding limbs.

She looked at Itsuki, and her Fairies were there as if faithfully protecting her. The girl was unconscious, her chest heaving with her head leaning on Fuu's shoulder as she slumbered from exhaustion.

"…The enemy," Karin paused, taking her time to calm her nerves down. "…They're still around, but a decent amount of Stardusts are destroyed with only eight Constellations still remaining. And Itsuki is fine. She's sleeping next to you."

Her senior frowned. Her half-opened eye seemed to stare without any focus as Fuu turned her head to the right. The girl stayed still for a moment before she spoke out.

"…I'm glad…" Fuu whispered. "I made it in time…"

Karin could sense her friend's consciousness dimming. Fuu looked as if she was half-asleep, and her eyelid was slowly but surely closing. Considering what just happened, what the girl did and whatever backlash she experienced… it was ridiculous how carefree Fuu's statement sounded like.

Karin nearly averted her gaze away had Fuu not called out to her. The brunette heard her name called out, and Karin had no choice but to face her upperclassman one more time.

"…It's all yours, now…" Fuu breathed out. "…I'll leave… the rest of you, Issei and Tougou…"

When she realized, Karin saw the girl with light blonde hair raising her broken right hand and formed a fist. The weakly-formed fist reached out to her, its owner grinning with great confidence—

"…Show them what we've got… understood?"

The girl passed the baton with a tap on Karin's shoulder.

* * *

Atop the twisted ruins of Ohashi, two figures stood next to each other. One was a monster that could only be described as a red armored dragon while the other was a girl in a blue and white bodysuit.

"They succeeded…"

Issei heard Tougou's words, but his entire focus lied somewhere else. He looked ahead as the shattered sky got a new hole punched through it, and swarms of Stardusts doubled in numbers as they were given more spaces to invade from.

However, there were only eight Constellation Vertexes now.

They had lost the Gemini, Libra, Taurus, and Aquarius the moment the pillar of light was reflected back to the heavens.

He didn't know where the terrifying light pillar was currently at, but he knew for sure that everyone barely survived by a hairbreadth. He knew for sure that a second attack would definitely end the world he wanted to protect.

 _Even so,_ Issei reflected. _That was ridiculous._

Anyone seeing solid light being repelled in that way would definitely think the same, but Issei chalked it up as the bundle of incomprehensibility known as Heroes and their logic-defying powers. He thought that he had gotten over it but once again, his view of his friends had changed so suddenly in a very groundbreaking way.

 _And I am definitely going to be busy after this is over…_

He could easily imagine his future. He would visit his senior and junior in the hospital, listen to their complaints about how irritating being hospitalized is, and he would be made fun of because now they were 'even'.

However, no matter how much distractions he tried to fill his mind with, his blood had yet to stop boiling and his desire to pulverize the Vertexes continued to climb. Flexing his claws into fists, the boy growled until he realized that there was no use in letting the blood rise to his head.

"…This is really hard…" Issei exasperated after he forcibly restrained himself with all of his mental strength. "It's our turn now."

From beside him, Tougou nodded.

"Indeed. Let us go to our battlefield, Issei-san."

The girl did not ask him if he was alright.

She must have known that there was no reason or even the time to banter. The clock was ticking, the enemies were still flowing into the barrier, and their fighters had been reduced to three people. If left alone, the surviving Constellation Vertexes might retreat, reform their ranks, or do something horrible again like summoning that insanely powerful weapon.

 _I hope Karin-chan is okay,_ Issei thought. _I'm sure she's with senpai and Itsuki-chan right now._

With the appearance of the pillar of light, they had to move out earlier than scheduled. Issei knew they were being reckless, but they were desperate. _As if we can allow something like that to fall for the second time. We can lose even more than this._

It was a sink-or-swim situation, so Issei chose what was best for him and everyone. Tougou did the same as she brought out her sniper rifle.

"Issei-san," she called out. "Will you please?"

The boy that had become a dragon nodded. He moved so as to stand right in front of Tougou, kneeled in place and spread his wings widely. He soon felt solid weight and warmth on his back.

"…Oh." The boy suddenly muttered out as he began to flap his wings to hover above Ohashi.

"…What is it?"

"Well…" Issei scratched his cheek. "It sure feels nice. I didn't expect your breasts to be so soft, Tougou-san. Did they grow bigger?"

He received a whack to the head for the crime of sexual harassment. Issei yelped but he couldn't help thinking that Tougou was being strangely violent this time around.

"If you're done fooling around, fulfill your role properly," Tougou chided. "Why is it that you have to be such a horrible, hopelessly insufferable pervert in this kind of situation...?"

 _Well, that's because being a pervert is my nature… although you can say that all men are perverts too._

Issei opted to not tell his classmate about his opinion. He wouldn't want to break the trust placed in him and he wouldn't want to anger the resident sniper who accurately pierced through a gigantic floating object at its core.

 _Now that I think about it, the girls I know are a lot more talented than everyone else and they're so kind-hearted, even to someone like me._

Did that mean the supports he had gained so far were just par for the course to the girls? Issei pondered for a bit and realized that the Hero Club's female members were far above your average people. They were extremely kind, extremely helpful, extremely self-aware and considerate to others, and they always viewed everything with boundless confidence as well as optimism.

 _…Ah,_ the boy realized. _So that's it, it's not just me who's different, but everyone too._

The girls were the Heroes, those who stood above the ordinary masses as paragons of human virtue. They might act silly and seemed to live ordinarily like others, but the term 'normal' was the farthest thing that could ever be associated with them.

As his thoughts spiraled, he heard a ringing voice.

Issei was told to not move from the spot so he obeyed and felt Tougou shifting in place on his back. The sensation was more or less heavenly but Issei's sharp hearing picked up words he easily identified belonging to a certain friend.

 _"If you want to go out earlier than scheduled… don't."_

It was Karin. Issei could tell since only Karin would speak so bluntly without taking the time to lead people around. She was similar to Issei in that way, but Karin differed in that she was considerate enough that she could use it to her own advantages.

"…What are you saying, Karin-chan?" Tougou asked. "If we don't leave now, then when?"

At her questions, the girl on the other side of the line drew out a deep breath.

 _"Your business is with the Leo Vertex alone,"_ Karin said through the phone. _"It looks like that one is the leader of the Vertex. Unfortunately, none of us have enough strength to use Sealing Ritual for a prolonged duration and we know that only the idiot Yuuna can ever hope to match it."_

Before Tougou and Issei could respond, Karin raised her voice.

 _"I'll clear the path. Seven might be a bit too much since I'm going to have to fight another horde of Stardusts while at it, but I can do my job just fine."_

The voice began to fade and Issei realized that something had changed in the town that had turned into a giant battlefield.

Something flitted across the sky.

Schools of Stardusts burst in a series of explosions and the waves of Vertexes were disrupted. As they stopped healing the surviving-yet-wounded Constellations, they lowered their mouths to face the earth. They warmed toward a certain area.

"Karin-chan…!?" Tougou shouted out in horror as the Constellations also began to descend like sharks smelling blood in the water. "What are you—"

 _"Our leader gave me an order, so of course I'm going to show them what we're made of."_

The line grew static. The voice of their friend was vanishing, but Issei felt something different from the negativity that he continued to resist in secret. It was…

 _"I'll live. That, I can be sure of."_ Karin chuckled. _"So you do your part properly, Tougou. Also, the idiot eavesdropping over there…"_

Issei flinched as he felt something familiar tugged on him. He abruptly looked toward the town of Sakaide from the top of the ruined Ohashi, and he recalled the back of a brown-haired, red-clad Hero who wielded two giant axes.

 _"You're a Hero too. Don't stop moving forward just because it's hard_. _"_

"Karin—"

 _"See you again,_ Issei _."_

The girl ended the call.

* * *

The first thought that crossed her mind after she hung up was 'are you an idiot?'.

It was a surprisingly brutal critique of herself. Karin could only sigh with a wry smile plastered on her face as the screen of her smartphone displayed the wallpaper she had put up on the day she had truly joined the Hero Club.

 _Now that I think about it, when I told Taisha to let me stay in the same school with those people, they easily gave permission._

The girl recalled the structure of the response she received was a little familiar. It wasn't like she knew many people in Taisha, but she at least had a few contacts back during the days where she had to pass a test to become a genuine Hero. She wondered if there was someone she knew besides her prodigious older brother.

"Well, that should be for later." Karin looked up from the rooftop of a tall building. "Being a Hero or being someone's friend… Who said that you need some special qualifications?"

Yes. There was no need to complicate things. If you wanted to be friends, just say so. If you're earnest about your desire, then people will definitely listen to your request and give you the proper answers. And even if you don't become friends with them…

"Something will definitely start, right?" Karin summoned her twin swords alongside her Fairy. "Hey, Yoshiteru. This is the grand finale, here."

The Fairy based on a heroic sword-wielding Ancestral Spirit hovered for a moment before speaking out.

"All things will come to pass."

Karin stared for a bit. She sighed, shook her head and confirmed her grips over her twin swords. It took a few moments, but her hands no longer trembled and Karin felt like she could display her skills as usual.

"Yeah. All things will end someday, even the fun times we want to protect." Karin brought her right arm up and lined her sword in front of the space between her eyes. "Even so, if that were to happen… we'll just make new happy memories."

How wonderful would that be?

Even if something was lost, it could be salvaged and pieced back. Even if it had a different form than the original, it was still the same thing that she and her friends once held dear, and even if it was truly lost forever…

"Let's accept that loss and keep on moving forward without fear." Karin's smile widened before it was replaced with a solemn, focused expression. "This is our stage, the only stage where we can shine the brightest with the entire world watching us."

 _So…_

"Listen up! Listen up, all of you!"

Throughout the region of Sakaide, people instinctively looked up as they heard a clear voice cutting through the roaring sky.

"Take a good look! This is the true strength of Sanshu Middle School Hero Club member, Miyoshi Karin!"

The voice amplified by the power of the Fairy and Hero System spread so wide it reached the hearts of anyone who was in range. With the application's function and the transparent spirit of the Hero, the voice seemed to create tremors that pierced deep into the minds of those who listened to it.

Then, as lines of light erupted from every corner of Shikoku, they raced to a single point and burst into a flower of light that overshadowed even the sun and the moon.

The azalea flower scattered red petals, dancing in the wind like a scene during hanami.

At the center of the flower of light was a girl in a white, red and black dress. She was surrounded by four enormous steel arms, and in her hands were two swords.

Karin's faced forward and ascended to the sky faster than a jet plane taking off.

From the empty air, four equally enormous swords emerged in the hands of her steel limbs, and she yelled.

"Haaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"

The two giant steel arms on her right side swung their swords with the velocity that surpassed the speed of sound.

They left behind thunderous booms. They cut apart clouds. They slashed through everything that stood in their ways, but that wasn't all. The giant swords glowed with an awe-inducing power and shot off crescent waves of energy.

In the next moment, the skies above Sakaide and Marugame were cleansed of the countless horde of bug-like monsters.

"Hero Club's Five Tenets…!" Miyoshi Karin shouted as she swung the giant arms on her left. "Number one…!"

Upon finishing their swings, the swords in the two gigantic steel hands unleashed tens of thousands of small swords. They all pierced through the seemingly infinite monsters with unbelievable accuracy and cleared up the airspace from Takamatsu to Higashikawa.

However, the larger monsters still exist. The shattered sky allowed passage for reinforcement to pour in and the situation returned to how it originally was.

Even so, the girl did not turn her back from facing the land of Shikoku.

"Give people…!" Miyoshi Karin howled as she cut her way toward a monster with a torn scarf and flexible tube-like body. "A good greeting!"

She sliced through shells that detonated upon contact. She crossed the sky as black smokes and embers trailed behind her, and the girl swung all of her weapons, slicing the first giant monster into twelve pieces.

 _The first one…!_

The monster released a bestial scream as it crumbled into white sand. Colorful wisps of light ascended, but passing through them was Miyoshi Karin who headed toward her next target.

"Hero Club's Five Tenets…!"

Her white dress fluttered as she kicked the air and accelerated her charge.

Water vapors exploded behind her in a perfect circle, and her figure blurred as wisps of wind shrouded her body like the divine armor of a storm god.

"Number two!" Karin roared. "Try not… to give up!"

She smashed apart a stack of the second Vertex's reflective plates. The monster that resembled a crab trembled as its enormous figure took the brunt of the shockwave produced by its opponent.

Miyoshi Karin did not stop there. Her attack had yet to finish, and so she kicked through the defensive walls blocking her away and sliced her second target with a downward vertical slash.

 _Second one…!_

The defeated monster crumbled into white sand. However, a chain of near transparent tail with the tip of a stinger whipped out and smashed the girl back down to earth.

The earth shook. Many people cried out as a trail of destruction was dragged through the city.

Unfortunately for the Scorpio Vertex, it did not get away unscathed as its receding tail was blown off in several places. The explosions happened in the connecting parts of the stinger, triggered by many katanas that were freshly embedded in them and depriving the creature of its sole weapon.

The incomprehensible abomination swayed as if confused. It was then a familiar voice rang out once again as a red figure flew through the air with white wisps of light chasing after her.

"Hero Club's Five Tenets, Number Three…!"

As she whizzed past the Vertex, several explosions erupted on its container-like body. Beyond it, the attacker bloomed and four gigantic arms were recalled into the battlefield.

"Sleep well…!" Miyoshi Karin flew down toward her enemy. "Eat well!"

The sword-wielding maiden sliced the wounded monster into pieces. She then used the remaining momentum she had to guide her toward her next enemy.

 _The third—!?_

Sounds of arrows being fired were heard.

Rays of light flooded the sky. Those arrows came from a blue ring-shaped creature with an eerie face and they were concentrated on the bearer of six swords.

"Kh…!" Karin faltered as she used the same defensive stance she had employed earlier. "Hero Club's… Five Tenets…!"

The girl pressed on. Wounded and battered, the girl flew to steer away from the line of fire but suddenly, a sharp white-brown geometric object lunged toward her like a spinning drill.

"Agh…!?"

Karin cried out, her body knocked aside and her armaments vanishing from the accumulated damage. The girl fell only to be met by a steel jellyfish that spanned over fifty meters.

It slammed its thick skull against her. It used its entire weight to bring the Hero away and it smashed Karin into the Seto Inland Sea with everything it had.

A pillar of water rose to the sky with the sound of a high-speed solid object hitting the surface of a lake. The pillar sprayed saltwater that showered the smokes and fire-infested city and the presence of the girl vanished.

However, another pillar of water suddenly erupted from nearby. Karin flew out of the sea with four giant swords slicing the fish-like monster into four pieces.

 _Fourth one…!_

White sands poured down and wisps of light ascended from the defeated carcass of the enemy.

Not even giving a second to waste, the girl flew toward the attacker that had brought her down for the second time.

"Number Four!" Karin dodged the attacks thrown by the sharp object's limbs that were as wide as a small office building. "If you're troubled…!"

The moment she reached the inorganic four-limbed beast, Karin swung her giant arms to cut apart the steel wires connecting the monster's body to the limbs.

Following after that, she detached herself from her divine armament. As the time limit was reached and as her dress fluttered away into white light, Karin yelled while swinging down both of her swords.

"Talk to someone…!"

The fifth enemy was sliced in a crisscrossing pattern and crumbled away.

By that point, it was clear that she was winning. However, when her additional armament was undone, white cloths coiled around her right arm from the base of her right shoulder, her right leg, and around her neck.

Karin's gave off a pained cry. It was as if someone was strangling her, and her distorted expression proved that she was hurting on the inside.

"...Even… so…!" Karin glared ahead as the sixth target descended from the sky. "Even so…!"

Pronouncing her intention to the world with a battle cry, Karin threw five swords at the galloping monster and hit it with explosions. The monster screeched without realizing it had reached the girl's effective range.

She stabbed the thing in the face. The monster screamed as it whipped its head up, but it allowed Karin to land on top of the head and carved her way through the skeletal structure of her enemy from end to end.

"Hero Club's Five Tenets…!"

When she leaped off the Vertex, Karin reached the shooter with a ring-like body and summoned her divine armaments.

Light surrounded her. The land bestowed her immense power to defy the heavens and Karin rammed her entire mass at Sagittarius.

"Number Five….!"

The impact crushed it. Karin smashed apart its face, broke the ring-like monstrosity and finished it off with two slashes of her gigantic swords.

"You're likely to succeed…!"

Without giving herself a moment to rest, the girl used whatever was left of her defeated enemy that had yet to crumble as a platform and leaped back. Like a ball hitting the wall Karin rebounded and spiraled down toward the Aries Vertex that was blindly charging toward the city.

"If you try!"

With a single slash that sliced through both the wind and light, Miyoshi Karin felled her seventh enemy.

With wisps of light shining behind her, with the almost glowing sand crumbling in the background…

"Did you see that!?" Karin shouted as she aimed her sword at the sky. "This is… this is the true strength of the Hero Club…!"

With that announcement, so ended her role as the trailblazer. Karin's Mankai armaments vanished and gravity slowly but surely began to pull her down. Even so, a thought crossed her mind.

 _I won,_ Karin thought. _With this… I'm sure that I can brag about my achievement to Fuu and everyone else._

Her eyes began to lose their light. Her ears were deaf to the sounds of the world, and her body felt so heavy that she wanted to lie down and rest.

"…Ah."

As she fell down from the sky, the girl saw a red streak of light approaching from the horizon. She saw wings that split the winds, a triangular form that resembled a flying serpent, and finally, she witnessed a red dragon making a sharp turn as it flew past her toward the heavens.

On the back of the dragon was a girl. Her black hair fluttered in the winds, and she was held tight to the dragon by the strips of white cloths spreading out from her back.

Even so, Karin got a glimpse of crystal clear droplets scattering from her friends' trail.

 _…You idiot… why do you have to be so soft-hearted when everyone is counting on you?_

But that was fine. Karin was tired, even moving an inch of her finger was impossible. The Fairy's divine blessing would protect her from hitting the earth anyway, but within that duration, she had nothing to do.

Thus, Karin looked up to the Red Dragon Emperor scaling the heaven.

"…We'll be waiting…" Karin whispered in the howling winds. "Everyone will be waiting, so… don't forget to return, Tougou… Issei…"

The girl smiled as she descended from the stage.


	66. Chapter 54 - Resistance

She heard someone talking.

Who was it? The voice differed so much that she thought she was hearing several people speaking at the same time. That might truly be the case, too.

Her eyelids fluttered open and in the midst of the dancing flower petals, she saw two people facing each other. The girl felt like she was leaning against a warm cushion, but she soon detected faint throbs of a living being, and she craned her head up.

"…This…" Yuuna slowly blinked as her eyes focused on a young girl in white-red garments and the branches of an old tree far above her. "…Aya…chan…?"

Hearing her voice, the Shrine Maiden cast her widened gaze down. The two girls exchanged brief looks, and Aya tightened her arms that were embracing Yuuna as a wide, relieved smile bloomed on her face.

"Thank goodness…!" Aya rubbed her cheek on Yuuna's red hair while she began to sob. "I'm glad you're awake, Yuuki-senpai…!"

For some reasons, the young girl had started to cry. It confused Yuuna and made her panic, but then the two men standing nearby looked her way and she gasped.

"E-Eh…? Hyoudou-otou…san?" The redhead gaped. "Why are you… here?"

The father of her friend softly smiled. He wasn't wearing Taisha's uniform, what with the white shirts, dull blue tie and black trousers. _And why is he here…?_

"Well," the brown-haired man said as he exchanged brief looks with his companion. "I'm here to deliver something that might help you girls and Issei, but it turns out—"

"Forget about the pleasantries, Ichiro. Don't you have something to give this cute lass before we proceed with our plans?"

 _C-Cute…!?_ Yuuna was struck speechless by the overly casual manner of a roguish man with black and gold hair. He had a goatee, his smile was carefree and now that she looked closely at him… he was wearing a stylish outfit with black wings rustled behind… _Eh, wings!?_

"Wh-What are…"

Noticing the troubled look on the girl's face, the man with a sharp chin closed an eye. He tilted his head, brushed his goatee with his right hand and stared at Yuuna. It felt as if she was being scrutinized like a giant frog seen by a group of adventurous children…

"Ah, looks like you're so attuned to the leylines that you're bypassing every disguise spells I have. 'Properly look at things', hm?" The foreign-looking man nodded. "I suppose with so much divine power, raw talent, and _that appearance_ , your heart would probably shine like a beacon even in the depths of the abyss."

"…Err…? What, do you mean by that?"

"Well, young lady." The strange man shrugged. "Your name is Yuuna, right? 'Yuuna' as in 'best friend of friends'."

 _H-Huh? How did he guess my name correctly?_ The girl wasn't sure of what to say so she could only respond with a nod.

"I'm just a governor that's short on both time and freedom, so I'll be quick and tell you what you need to do." The so-called governor placed a hand on his waist as he nudged toward the sky. "It's all up to you, though. Whether or not you want to go through it isn't for me to decide. But if you still want to do something to help your friends, then there's something I'd like you to do."

As the red-haired girl's eyes widened, the winged man pulled out an item from his coat and presented it to her.

"Can you do it, Miss Hero?"

* * *

He had to hurry.

With that desire in place, Issei concentrated and changed his form to better suit his role. A bulky body would not give him the necessary velocity, so he cast off the thickest parts of his scale mail and took a more streamlined form that could easily pierce through the winds. Then he straightened his posture, fixated his limbs to be in line with his spine, and let his tail be the ballast.

 _But it's still not enough_.

The boy desired to be faster. His Sacred Gear granted him multipliers, and his current body transformed itself in less than three seconds. The girl on his back gasped in shock, but Issei chose to submit his entire mind and heart into fulfilling his role at the cost of ignoring everything else.

As the only person capable of increasing strength, be it for oneself or for others, he could theoretically become an unstoppable force if he had enough stamina to maintain the Boosts. He could surpass anything if he had the appropriate amount of time, which means he could do one thing nobody present could ever hope to accomplish.

 _I can kill the gods with my Boosted Gear._

He could fight against the world. He could overcome the world and surpass the beings that wished for the destruction of everything he held dear. It would be difficult but he had the chances. However…

 _I don't want to be separated from my friends and family._

He wouldn't want to be unable to eat the breakfast his mother usually cooked for him. He wouldn't like it if he couldn't banter with his father and ask him for guidance whenever he was stuck on something. He would have problems if he couldn't finish his education and be unable to spend times with his friends.

 _And I would hate it if I can't be with the girls I love._

However, what about the world? What about this messed up world? The Vertexes had invaded and now the place he had become attached to is in desolation. A lot of people must have been wounded. A lot of lives must have been lost. A lot of happiness had been destroyed and many would probably be unable to regain it.

 _How much has everyone lost in this battle?_

He didn't like it. He hated his enemies for the losses everyone had to shoulder, and he wished for their destruction. Even so, the negative thoughts were starting to become a problem again as Issei suddenly slowed down.

"Issei-san?" Tougou asked. "W-What's wrong?"

The boy did not give a reply. He couldn't, in fact. Because he suddenly heard—

 _ **"Is it here? Has the time finally arrived?"**_

Issei gritted his teeth. He didn't expect these much lingering thoughts to leak out, and he became increasingly worried about Ddraig's well-being. The dragon tried to hold back the inevitable from ruining everything, after all.

Suddenly, he sensed something coming and maneuvered to the side hastily and avoiding an enormous fireball that could have easily swallowed him whole by a few inches.

"The Leo…!" The girl riding on his back shouted. "It's attacking!"

"I know! Can you order me what to do, Tougou-san?!" Issei inhaled. "I'll carry out all of your directions!"

At that, he could feel the black-haired girl shifting into place once again. This time, Tougou used his back as a sniping spot, and he felt cold steel mounted on his right shoulder with the barrel of a gun stretching out from the corner of his vision.

"Sorry," Tougou apologized. "But let's do this, Issei-san."

"Yeah. Let's end this battle already." Issei nodded. "We've still got a lot of people to help, so we can't just give up as members of the Hero Club."

He didn't know why he had to use the club as an excuse, but Issei thought it was fitting and Karin had gushed about the tenets earlier. The girl might be rubbing off on him.

"...You've changed quite considerably." Tougou pointed out. "And in such a short time too."

 _Huh, is that how it looks like?_

"That's because you girls are way too influential to me," Issei shot back as he dodged another fireball that tried to hit him in the face. "Without you girls, I'd have stayed as I was."

"And you would have become an irredeemable pervert." Tougou sounded as if she was nodding as she spoke. "It seems to make you busy with club activity instead of letting you interact with the other two perverts worked out very well."

 _Oh, that sounds ama… huh!?_

"...Wait, did you just say the huge pile of requests I've been clearing out is just an excuse so that I won't hang out with Matsuda and Motohama?" Issei did a double take this time. "I-Is that another fickle scheme of yours, Tougou-san!?"

The green-eyed girl for some reasons smiled as if pleased that she had won a fierce battle of wits.

"Didn't I say that I'm a wicked woman?" Tougou lightly sighed and faced forward with more focused looks. "Now, look ahead. Pay attention to my words, and make sure you do as I say or else I cannot guarantee our survival."

The girl took a deep breath. She then proceeded to fire her sniper rifle and cleared the path in front of them.

"We will now begin the extermination of the twelfth Constellation Vertex," Tougou announced. "Commencing battle scenario!"

* * *

She did not know where she was.

She had been sleeping for a while, so she thought she would see the same dream she desired in the past. Familiar faces were recalled, familiar places jutted out in the hazy scenery she was seeing, and she hears voices she treasured so much that she begged the Shinju to not take them away from her.

 _...I'm such a selfish girl…_

Although she wasn't sure what kind of expression she had, it was probably a smile. Yes, she had no doubt about it, as she was still capable of gathering pieces of happiness even though she could barely lift an arm. However…

 _...Ah,_ the girl thought and she looked up to the pure white sky. _I heard a bell ringing…_

How nostalgic. It was a sound that began everything. Her tale with her friends had started with the sounds of wind chimes that changed the world.

 _...But, why am I hearing that?_

As she asked nobody in particular, the sky cleared up and she witnessed a red sky covered with flame and black smokes. It didn't take a moment to realize what she had seen.

 _..This is… a battlefield._

As she looked around, she identified the state of the environment she was in. When she looked down, she saw the road gouged out with debris scattered all over the place. When she looked to the left and right side, she saw ruins of buildings, vehicles, and other man-made infrastructures.

And when she looked up, she saw a dragon soaring toward the heavens.

 _...That is…_

A name spilled out of her lips. When she spotted the person clinging to her draconic friend's back, another name was uttered and she felt her heart twisting inward.

Before she knew it, the girl was staring down at her non-existing feet. The world around her was most likely real, but it appears she was in an incorporeal state.

After all, the girl's physical body could no longer stand on her own two feet.

 _...Is this an Oracle…?_

The girl hesitated in believing that possibility. She did not know why, but she understood that that wasn't the case. She was seeing something in real time, just like watching a sports tournament that happened in the moment yet held in a different place.

The burning sky. The ruined town. The cries of people and the shimmering red flames… all of them were real.

"...Are you…" The girl stared at the sky for no other reason besides questioning the will that forced her to be surrounded by this hellscape. "...So this is my punishment. I no longer have the desire to protect, so now you are showing me the consequence of my choice."

The girl with dirty blonde hair laughed.

"...You are a cruel god, Shinju-sama," said she. "But… I do not think my heart can be moved anymore, you know?"

The girl imagined herself sitting and her vision lowered to a degree. It was easy to navigate considering this 'vision' worked like a dream, and she had experienced a similar thing hundreds of times before.

The girl then spoke out.

"My heart is no longer beating." The girl placed her imaginary left hand in the place that once held the beating organ. "I mean, when I used Mankai, the third thing that was taken from me was my heart. I'm basically a living corpse as I am now."

Even so, she was somehow 'alive'.

It did not make any sense, but how would mortals know about how divinity works? That would be like questioning how exactly the universe truly worked. It was absurd to even think humans could comprehend the workings of their creators in the first place.

"...So, really." Nogi Sonoko formed a brittle smile as her vision blurred. "...For someone whose time has already ended two years ago… what am I supposed to do?"

As the red sky lit up, the girl suddenly sensed another presence coming from behind her.

"What are you doing, acting all depressed like that? I swear you and Sumi are really hopeless when I'm not around, huh?"

 _...Eh?_

When the figure of the unknown presence walked past her, Sonoko's shoulder was tapped by a warm gloved hand that felt too familiar to mistake.

She was about to say something when she finally took in the appearance of the person clad in red and grinning toothily. The girl held her breath, covered her mouth with her hand as she felt her cheeks growing increasingly hot.

Tears lined down Sonoko's cheeks.

"...Is that… you?"

The red-clad Hero walked ahead and Sonoko abruptly stood up in order to catch up to her. She extended her left arm as she clumsily moved her legs, but she stumbled over a hole in the road and fell over.

All the while, the person that she thought she had lost was leaving her side once again.

"...No…!" Sonoko cried out. "Mi...no… Mino-san….!"

Please don't go.

Please don't leave everyone behind.

 _Haven't we promised? You promised to teach us how to cook next Sunday. You promised... so why…?_

"Sorry, but this isn't the time to be weak-willed. After all…" Her friend breathed out. "My first and only disciple is heading out to protect everyone, including my friends and my family."

As Sonoko pushed herself off the ground, she looked up and met the brown gaze of her best friend. The girl clad in red waved at her as she smiled, and then…

"See ya, Sonoko. Next time we meet, make sure you've stopped crying, okay?"

As the red-clad girl ran toward the horizon, her image overlapped with a girl in white-pink. The two moved in unison, accelerated and left behind the one who had stopped facing the truth.

"Otherwise," Minowa Gin said. "We aren't Heroes!"

As flower petals danced, the world burning in red faded and Nogi Sonoko was returned to the place she truly belonged to.

* * *

Amidst the rain of flames, Tougou calmly shifted the barrel of her sniper rifle and pulled the trigger.

With a booming sound that was quickly consumed by the turbulence, a ray of blue light pierced through three fireballs and forced them to explode before they could hit their target. The sniper immediately pulled the lever with her right hand to empty the bullet chamber and reloaded her weapon using her left hand.

The girl fired her gun in rapid succession.

"How close are we!?" The boy carrying her toward their enemy shouted. "Is that thing retreating!?"

Tougou willed her sniper scope to zoom in at the twelfth Constellation Vertex and calculated the distance.

"...I think it is," the girl said and pursed her lips into a thin line. "Issei-san, can you…"

Before she could finish her sentence, she recalled the state of her friend and shook her head. _I can't burden him any more than this._

Issei had been fighting for the longest amongst everyone. He had trained under the tutelage of the Hero from abroad until he was terribly wounded and exhausted, yet he only obtained a night of sleep before the situation deteriorated. Then, he had also used his trump card again, abandoned his humanity completely, and now he was fighting even though he had barely rested.

It wouldn't be surprising if the boy passed out in the next second, but Tougou knew he was far too stubborn to give up just because he was tired.

 _...You're such a fool,_ the girl honestly thought as she recalibrated her scope and cleared their path once again. _How far are you going to hurt yourself in order to obtain your own happiness?_

"...Issei-san," Tougou called out. "If I were to be selfish… will you hear me out before judging me?"

The boy did not respond as he had to do a barrel roll evasion. If he did not do that, he and the girl would have been struck down by a dozen fireballs traveling at the speed of sound.

The girl held tight using the strips of flexible cloths that acted as replacements for her legs. She did not expect these flimsy extensions to have other functions but she was somewhat glad that they could keep her from getting thrown off her friend's back.

"Sorry for that," Issei apologized. "And about your selfishness… Tougou-san, what do you want to do?"

The blunt question seemed like it came from the left field, but Tougou did not reject the question since time was short as it is. The girl asked herself what she wanted, and she came to a conclusion.

"...I want to go back," Tougou replied. "I want to go back to the days where we do not have to worry about the world's safety and mankind's future. I want to be with my friends until the end of my life and spend my time leisurely as an ordinary person."

 _But…_

"...In order to accomplish that, this battle must end. To live in peace, I will have to turn my back on this reality."

 _And yet I cannot allow myself to run away._

"I have to face the truth…" Tougou gripped the handle of her sniper rifle tightly. "I have to change the present in order to make my dream comes true."

As such, what she needed to fulfill her selfish wish was one thing.

"I need the strength to change this reality, this battle, and this world that has already ended," the black-haired girl breathed in. "Lend me your strength, Issei-san. Let me borrow your strength to actualize my selfishness."

As the winds roared and the fiery red sky continued to be blotted out by numerous Stardusts, a clear voice resounded.

"Give me your everything…" Tougou yelled, "And take all that I have!"

As the flower emblem shone, deep blue flower petals surrounded the maiden and the dragon. Light erupted in the sky above Shikoku as if a new star had been born, and a dragon's roar could be heard resounding throughout the heavens.

"I won't hold back, then!" Issei yelled. "Ddraig, show those bastards above what we've got!"

The red dragon shone bright red and the two figures vanished in a flash of solid light that began to change forms.

[TRANSFER!]

As a third voice echoed off, the light dispersed and a single gigantic silhouette could be seen ascending above the smoke-filled sky. The synergy between the divine power of the Shinju and the Welsh Dragon allowed this transformation to take shapes, and it manifested itself as a creature that was both a living being as well as a weapon.

It had four sets of claws, a scale-covered body armed with eight cannon barrels, and its tail trailed behind in a straight line. Four thrusters expelled explosive energies from the sides of the serpentine body.

A veil of shockwave and water vapors surrounded the eight meters-wide living weapon as it charged upward. At the same time, on top of the horned dragon's head stood a girl clad in a blue and red dress.

"Main cannons…!" As the maiden raised her right arm, the barrels stretching out from the dragon's back, shoulders, wings, and forearms took aim. "Fire!"

Eight beams of light filled the sky. They eradicated the Stardusts with sweeping motions and they cleared out the path ahead of them from the barrages of fireballs.

A bestial scream was let loose at the following moment. It came from the Leo Vertex as if to show how enraged it was, but the cannons had already been aimed and the Hero shouted out her command.

"Second Wave! Fire!"

Eight concentrated beams struck the Constellation Vertex.

It instantly lost its spiked rings, its blazing curtain and the sharp sides sticking out of its main body. However, its main body was not damaged so the core must have been unharmed as well. It had survived because it was out of the sniper's effective combat range.

Within seconds, Stardusts swarmed in from the Outside and blocked the space between the dragon and the Vertex.

The Leo distanced itself from its opponent to regenerate, but the dragon and the maiden had already read their enemies' movement.

"Issei-san, do not mind me!" Tougou suddenly kneeled and placed her right hand on the surface of the dragon's head. "Drive that thing away from our home! Force it to leave this place behind!"

The girl inhaled.

"End this battle once and for all!"

The dragon howled, maximized the output of his boosters – and exceeded the speed of sound.

A great wind swept through the sky, the sea and the land of Shikoku. As a streak of red light made its presence known in the lit up heaven, the dragon as red as molten lava shone like a meteor.

He reached his enemy in the next instance. He broke through the wall made from millions of Stardusts, slammed his entire mass against the monster that desired to erase all that he held precious, and used all of his Boosts right in that instance to ensure his attack would reach his enemy.

In the next moment, both the dragon and the Vertex were blown out of the barrier.

* * *

The streets were empty.

Looking around would not inform her of any danger. The areas she had gone through were clear of any civilians or even enemies. It was because of the combined efforts of Taisha, the military, and the local government, but the girl spotted some unfortunate things that made her want to turn away.

Unmoving bodies were strewn around in some places. Some wore civilian outfits, some wore green uniforms, and although fewer in numbers, there were also masked people in white Japanese clothes. The girl identified large stains of blood occasionally, and she couldn't imagine what had happened as some corners hidden in the shadows were stained with puddles of red liquid glistening by the light of a fire.

She felt her mind chipped off. She did not know how much time had passed, but she knew that the battle had caused terrible damages. The peace everyone thought would last forever had crumbled and now, all everyone could do was trying to survive while protecting the pieces they had left.

"Kh…!" As she turned around a corner, the girl saw several bug-like shapes descending. "Not good…!"

She expertly leaped over the monsters. The Stardusts turned around but the girl chose to flee at top speed, leaving them in the dust as she used the town's layout to erase her tracks.

She could not waste her time. Although she wanted to do something, her role did not allow her to stop moving. _But is that truly the case?_

When she looked at the object held in her left hand, the girl did not notice someone walking out of an alley ahead of her. She was about to avoid them – had she not noticed a flash of light that tried to behead her.

The girl lowered her body and executed an emergency sliding evasion. Even so, when she stood up, she felt a prickling heat coming from her right cheek.

"Ooh? So you dodged that…!" The mysterious assailant laughed. "Man, that was amazing! So that's what you can do! Your title is so fucking pretentious even though you're just a stupid kid but it turns out there are some truths about your ability, huh!?"

The girl turned around to face her white-haired attacker.

"W-Who are you!?" She yelled. "What are you doing!?"

The man bobbed his head at her questions. It was as if he wasn't listening or even understanding her words, but somehow…

 _What is this,_ the girl asked herself as she felt chills crawling on her skin. _What is this feeling…?!_

It wasn't normal. Yes, the sensation of a deep pit forming in her stomach was not something she could identify or even understand. It felt familiar to the time when she faced the Vertexes, but this sensation was a little different.

 _...Is this… malice…?_

An intention to destroy backed by human emotions – that was what she could glean off the man's intention, but the girl could not comprehend why a person would show such hostility to another person.

"Aah? What's with that look?" The swordsman tapped his weapon against his shoulder. "Oh, yeah. You're just a pawn meant to destroy those trash from the Outside. There's no way you would know the taste of another human's blood."

The girl shuddered. The man was uttering horrible things so casually that it baffled her. It also alarmed her as she felt she would not be able to convince the other side to let her go.

 _This man… is dangerous!_

The girl had to run, but exposing her back to this person seemed like a poor choice. She had to get away and reach her objective if she wanted to help her friends. If she was stopped here…

 _All will be for nothing!_

"Oh, are you trying to run away?" The man smirked as he approached the retreating girl. "Hmm, now that I think about it, there's one last place that can turn the table if it's left alone…"

The white-haired man's smile widened as if splitting his face in two.

"Hah ha…! That thing in your hand must be something that can somehow restore the barrier and the connection with the leylines! Now that's annoying!"

The man aligned his sword closer to his mouth. He licked the blade as his shoulders shook in amusement, but that further instilled dreads in the girl's mind.

"How about I kill you here, huh? Maybe you can just give up and have fun with me!" The man spread his arms wide. "After all, I was the one who killed all those idiots that tried to maintain this glass cage!"

As the girl's eyes widened, the man dashed toward her. His was moving unbelievably fast while some glowing circles flashed around him.

When they faded, his speed multiplied to the point that the Hero nearly lost him. A flash of light whipped out from the left—

"You think I'd let that happen!?"

Suddenly a giant shadow slammed the psychotic man into the wall to the girl's left. The attack easily sent the swordsman through it and the scenery beyond the wall was suddenly consumed by several explosions.

Hot winds raced through the streets as smokes and dirt scattered everywhere.

The girl squeaked. Her mind tried to process what had happened, but when she lowered her arms that were protecting her head and torso, she saw a foreign man in an armor that looked like a zipped up bomber jacket.

The man spewed white breath, his glare dead set on the smokes and the ruined house beyond the broken wall. The girl was about to raise her voice when the familiar man beat her to the punch.

"Go! Now! Don't waste your time, you idiot!"

"Wh-ah, uh…! Okay!"

As the girl resumed her run, she heard some shouting and maniacal laughter from behind her. She was almost too afraid to know what was going on, but she couldn't delay herself any further.

The girl had to hurry.

As she leaped over a downhill road, her eyes tracked the form of a skyscraper that stood at the edge of Sakaide. Her long pink hair tied in a ponytail fluttered as salty winds brushed over her body, and she looked up even as tens of thousands of Stardusts headed toward the place that could decide the fate of her world.

"I can see it!" Yuuki Yuuna exclaimed. "Taisha's second headquarters… the gold tower!"


	67. Chapter 55 - Rupture

Red consumed her vision.

It was a color different from the ruined town she had been at. When she looked to the right, all she could see was a land scorched in flame. The same went for her left; the lands devoid of life were covered with bright flames and pillars of light that stretched far to the horizon.

"What is…"

The dragon veered and dodged a solar flare that shot up to the black sky. It made a parabolic line, descended down and washed over the lifeless earth with flames that could easily liquefy solid metal.

Then she heard a roar that shook the land.

 _What is that?_ The girl felt chills running down her spine. _What was that!?_

 _Something_ was lurking deep within the infernal flames. _Something_ terrible that exceeded even her fears of the Starcluster existed in this infernal scenery, and it was then that her sharpened senses caught white forms blotting out from deep inside the blazing landscape.

A hundred became a thousand. A thousand became a billion. A billion multiplied and became trillions of white stars that screamed out their intentions to reset the world and all cycles of life.

"Tougou-san, hang on tight!"

Issei's voice shook the girl's consciousness back to the present and the dragon she was riding flapped his wings as he ignited all of his thrusters.

The girl soared alongside her friend, but the countless hordes of Stardusts pursued them from all directions. The bug-like monsters screamed as they opened and closed their mouths. Their bodies wiggled like insects and their intentions were made clear with their actions.

"Gh…!" Tougou looked back, extended her right arm, and then gave the signal to the cannons manifested by her Mankai. "Fire!"

The eight cannon barrels shot out beams of light that incinerated the hordes of Stardusts. However, from every surface of the planet, replacements surged forth and forced Tougou to take a defensive stance.

"Issei-san! Fly higher!"

"Got it!"

The red dragon ascended with a spiraling maneuver. A straight line evasion would allow the enemies to catch up more easily, so he moved randomly as he let his rider take out the Vertexes.

However, the dragon and the Hero witnessed something that stole their attention away.

There was a golden tree. It shone brightly behind two lights with a heavenly radiance that bestowed a comforting air around it. Its many branches stretched upward, its leaves dense and lush with some of its fruits looking close to ripening.

However, the scorching lands and the empty starless sky surrounded it. The pitch-black sky possessed neither the light of the sun nor the stars, and the hellish scenery moved as if trying to encroach on the grassy land before the tree's roots.

It was as if the entire world was choking the life out of the tree.

The girl then heard sounds of dry leaves rustling. She looked up, finding the tree slowly but surely losing its divine luster. Engraved on the trunk of the tree were hundreds of holes, and Stardusts wriggled their ways into the tree like termites eating the plant from the inside-out. Two particularly large holes could be seen close to the roots of the divine tree, and Tougou realized what was truly happening as she stared into those holes.

"That is… the barrier… no," the girl held her breath. "...It can't be… is this the main body of Shinju-sama? Then…"

What was the tree they saw sealed within Marugame castle? Why would there be another Shinju if the conglomeration of earthly deities possessed a much larger body that was anchored to the planet? It did not take much time for Tougou to understand the truth, and her hands trembled in trepidation.

 _That withering tree is Shinju-sama's soul._

The Land Gods did not possess the same power the Heavenly Gods had. In other words, they would eventually run out of strength and perish. Nobody knew when that will happen, but should the time comes, then…

 _Our world is ending—_

How was she supposed to change the world? How could she possibly end the battle when the whole world was literally the enemy she must defeat? How could she and her friends possibly protect all that they had left from the infernal hell laid in front of her eyes?

 _There's no way… we can change something like this—_

"Tougou-san!"

The world spun around her and Tougou cried out. Had she not refocused her grips, she would not have been able to keep on standing atop Issei's head.

However, she saw explosions showering the dragon's left wings and side. He growled, lined his left arm with his shoulder, and fired a sweeping blast of energy across the horizon.

"There's no end to them…!" Issei spat out. "Tougou-san, we're going to search out the Leo!"

"What? B-But…!"

"If it's the leader of the Constellations, then the Stardusts should stop attacking when it's eliminated!"

"How can you be so sure!?"

As the girl shouted out the content of her heart and mind, the boy who had become a dragon answered.

"Because I can't think of anything else!" Issei inhaled. "I'm betting everything on this! I don't care even if it's hopeless! I…!"

The dragon folded his wings, deactivated his thrusters and began his descent into the fiery landscape. The hot winds struck and streamed over the dragon's serpentine body, and Tougou winced with one eye closed as she stared down at an incoming horde of Stardusts.

"Until the very end…! I refuse to give up!"

As the thrusters reactivated and Tougou felt the air resistance rising exponentially, she gritted her teeth and balled both of her hands into fists.

"...Khg…!" Tougou removed her right arm from covering her face and extended it forward. "Third Wave… fire!"

As rays of light rained down, the maiden and the dragon plunged into the depths of hell. Raging flames surrounded them but the dragon flapped his wings and blew them away. All the while Stardusts attacked and the maiden fired all of her cannons to defend the dragon as well as herself.

The two continued to struggle, even as the happiness they sought seemed to slip further and further away from their grasps.

* * *

It was endless.

No matter where he went, no matter where he looked, and no matter how much he desired for a sliver of hope to exist… the scorched planet was a place no living being could possibly inhabit.

He felt his scales heating up. His bones trembled in fear as he moved his claws to clear the path.

How many had he defeated? The sea of monsters had no end. The products of a Longinus known as Vertexes continued to appear from the hellish scenery and blotted out the sky.

They surrounded him and attacked.

Issei cried out as Stardusts latched on his body and corroded his scales as well as armors. They devoured his wings, broke his claws, and tried to consume his body as if it was food.

The dragon took a deep breath and expelled his aura in all direction. The crimson light he emitted erased the Vertexes but his mind suddenly felt tremendous weight crushing down. It taxed his already battered body, dried up his nonexistent stamina, and drained the life out of him.

Even so, the dragon refused to give up.

He howled as he tore through the army of monsters. He pierced through walls of fire, gouged the earth and searched the burning land for the twelfth Constellation Vertex.

However, he couldn't find it.

Did it escape? Was it hiding to preserve its strength? The dragon had no time to waste. He did not know how long his friend could maintain the weaponized divine power she borrowed from the collective of Land Gods, but he knew the two were approaching their limits.

Hurry. Hurry. They had to hurry. _We have to end this battle._

Rays of light scattered and eradicated countless white stars, but reinforcement poured in and sealed their path. Razor claws cut through hordes after hordes of enemies, but the end was never in sight.

He did not know how far he had gone to search his last enemy. He couldn't tell how much time had passed since he reached the world beyond the Walls of lies and illusion.

Even so, the dragon continued to fight.

Why? Why was he doing that? Why would he continue to fight? How could he, even though he truly did not know if what he believed in was the truth?

The world was a living hell. He was fighting against such a world that lacked any sign of life. If the gods had conquered this world and remade it so that mortal beings could never hope to maintain it, much less inhabit it, then what was the point of changing it?

What could even be changed? How could he change this dead world? Was he even capable of challenging the gods by remaking the world like they did? Just who did he think he was?

 _...I don't care,_ the boy rebuked. _I don't care, those kinds of things..._

Yes. That was right. He could fight, so he would fight. He was a monster, not a human. He couldn't say he was a hero, but he could bear being a monster that would fight and eradicate his enemy until he fell in battle.

Why? Why would he go so far? Why would he risk himself like this?

Because…

 _That's because I—_

As he recalled those spoken words, pictures from the past blurred the present. The past caught up, blurred his vision and he heard dark whispers tempting him to fall.

He immediately shook them off and flew even faster. He fought even fiercer, used all that he had, and solely focused himself on destroying his last enemy.

 _I promised,_ Hyoudou Issei thought. _I have already made my promise, so I…_

The world suddenly lit up.

A shadow stretched below him. As he sensed something dreadful falling, it was already too late because even with his thrusters, he would not make it in time.

He asked himself why and he forced himself to look up at a sphere that looked to be twice the size of the moon upon him. It approached faster than the wind, it roared as tongues of flame surrounded the dragon and it fell onto the scorched land without hesitation.

Before he knew it, the world seen through his eyes shook and instantly blacked out.

He heard a faint voice, noise that seemed to scrape on his mind and soul, and overpowering sensation that could only be said as extreme pain. He wrestled out the darkness despite the pains that immobilized his lower body, but when he opened his eyes again, he wondered why the ground was so close.

 _...Ah._

He glanced at his back, finding both of his wings broken. One was burned black and cauterized at the base.

He could no longer fly. He couldn't even use two of the eight cannon provided by the maiden. Most of his armors and scales had melted, and he didn't have any feeling from the waist down. Did he still have legs?

Then, the armaments covering his body dissipated into white light. His eyes widened as the spring of power quickly dried out and he searched for his friend's whereabouts; he could only sense her faint presence.

 _It can't… be…_

When he found what he was looking for, he saw a girl in blue wheezing as she tried to lift her upper body off the burning land. The Fairies around her protected her from the fire that could easily melt iron, but a white cloth wrapped around her head from the back.

The dragon called out to her for the second time, yet the girl seemed as if she wasn't listening. Being ignorant would be impossible. The two knew they were not in the position to forget their surroundings. However…

What if she simply could no longer hear any sound?

 _It can't be…_

The dragon sensed the world resume its attacks. Grains of white filled the sky as bestial screams surrounded both the red dragon and the black-haired maiden, and he felt _something_ approaching.

He did not know what that something was, or what that meant.

He just knew that he had to flee from it, and as he scooped his friend onto his scale-covered palm, he looked up only to catch a pillar of flame drawing an arc far beyond the sea of white stars.

A black form loomed over them while bearing the scorched moon on its back. It had several spiked rings, an incomprehensible shape that should have been impossible to support its own body, and it roared as pillars of flame enveloped the thing to form a spherical celestial body.

A sun was born. It rapidly descended, but the dragon had already moved.

He threw himself off the ground with the help of his thrusters. Two could no longer function, but he had two more.

Even so, his size and mass would get in the way, so he willed himself to change shape and purge his great dragon form as if it was just a replacement frame for a skeletal robot.

He felt the girl's warmth through the physical contact.

"...Issei… san…"

He heard her whispering. Her voice was weak and hoarse, lacking any energy nor even enthusiasm.

The Sange had taken effect.

His words would not reach her. It was impossible for the girl to hear the voices of her beloved ones now, and that loss was further added with heavy exhaustion.

The maiden's eyelids lowered down as the dragon fled from the descending sun.

He was about to reach his destination – the golden tree known as the Shinju was only a few miles away and with his velocity… he would certainly make it in time.

 _But what about the world I want to protect?_

The gears halted. The boy soon realized he was leading his enemy to his home. The sun was chasing after him, and if he retreated into the barrier as is, it would hit everything he wanted to protect as well.

 _What should I do...?_

The red dragon sealed and linked to his soul could not provide an answer.

 _What should I do?_

The clock was ticking. The attack would soon reach him.

 _What should I do…!?_

The time limit was reached.

* * *

Tougou Mimori dreamed.

It was strange. The warmth she felt was nostalgic. She wondered where she knew this warmth from, as she could accurately discern who would possess a gentle warmth with the scent of a sunflower.

As her consciousness was roused, she saw a blinding white light. However, she was protected by a figure that cradled her in his arms.

The girl could not know who that person was. While she still felt the familiar warmth, there was coldness in the person's hands. _I wonder why this feels familiar…_

Within her hazy consciousness, she felt something wet staining her cheek. It wasn't warm, it was cold, and it lined down and fell to her shoulder. At first, the girl could not recognize it, but she soon realized what it was; a tear.

Was the person crying? Was it her parents? Her memories seemed dim and hard to recall. Everything was too jumbled together nothing made sense.

 _But,_ the girl thought. _I feel like I've known this person…_

Yes. She knew him. It was a he. A boy that was far too blunt for his own good, but honest and refusing to lie even if it was for his own sake. He was a troublesome person that had such a great lust even for a teenage boy entering puberty, and he was clumsy when it came to interacting with the opposite sex.

He had improved by the time the girl and her friends accepted him as a club member. He was earnest and hard-working, and he turned out to be a gentle person that could be considerate if he put his mind to it.

 _It's too bad that he's being carefree most of the time…_

The girl wondered why she was recalling such specific things. But then she realized that she could not remember the name of the boy, much less his face. She just knew he was her problematic friend, and she knew that he cared for her as well as her friends even more so than his own life.

 _...That's, not good…_

Yes. That wasn't good. She could not allow such thing. She did not wish for her friend to sacrifice everything that he had even if it was for someone else's sake. She was… a Hero, so she could not let such selfishness be left alone.

That was why the maiden reached out to him. Her body was as heavy as lead, and it took her everything to simply move her left hand.

Even so, she reached the boy and brushed his cheek. For some reasons, she could not hear anything. It was tranquil. The world bathed in white was a quiet place that comforted her.

It supported her. It allowed her to think of what she should say and do. As such, the maiden narrowed her eyes and softly smiled.

"...it's alright…"

 _Yes, it will be fine._

No matter what would happen. No matter how much sadness burdened her and her friends… Even if despair stared down at them and laughed at their feeble attempts to protect the torch of hope...

"...We're here with you…"

 _My friend, my beloved friend, a piece of the world that I wish to protect…_

She was here. Everyone was here. It would be alright, so…

"I'm sure you can do it…"

As a name faded into the white world and darkness reclaimed her, the girl thought how nice it would be to lie down on a lawn of grasses showered by the midsummer sun.

Maybe next time, if the requests did not pile up…

 _It'd be nice if we can laze around—_

* * *

How much time had passed?

Yuuna had reached the gold tower, was guided by the masked people from Taisha to the top floor and then she was told to wait. Of course, that could not be done as she saw Vertexes surrounding the tower, but apparently, the whole place had protection charms in place and some of Taisha's people seemed to be capable of using magic spells to ward them away.

Also, her terminal and the object she had to deliver were currently being checked by Taisha. As much as she wished to show her reluctance, one of them seemed to insist that they might find a breakthrough about something.

 _...Maybe I can check what else this building has._

Deciding her next course of action, Yuuna descended several floors down after she drank some water and washed her face in the restroom upstairs. Guided by her intuition, she passed by several hallways that held a crowd of people, most of them being civilians. There were some police and soldiers acting as security guards and she saw medical tents erected. Both the tents and the food distribution side were completely crowded.

"...Yuuna-sama. Have you rested?"

Huh? The red-haired girl turned around, catching a man in Taisha's designated uniform but somehow had removed his mask. Yuuna stared at the stranger's brown hair and eyes, yet for some reasons, she was reminded of one of her friends.

"...Umm," Yuuna replied, not knowing what to say. "Have we… met somewhere before?"

The man pushed his rectangular glasses and sighed quietly.

"No, this would be our first time meeting face to face like this," he answered. "But, I suppose you found some resemblances. Allow me to introduce myself."

The man's voice sounded soft if not a little tired. Yuuna guessed anyone in this sort of situation would be stressed enough that their voice would lack energy, but this person that seemed to be younger than he looked was in a worse state than the others.

"My name is Miyoshi Harunobu," the man introduced himself. "I am Karin's older brother, a co-worker of Hyoudou Ichiro, and my current position is the chief researcher in regards to the Hero System."

As Yuuna was flabbergasted by the importance of the person standing before her, the man glanced to the side and walked away. He said to follow him so Yuuna obeyed because she wasn't sure of what to do or even think of.

 _J-Just what am I getting myself into…?_

"Yuuna-sama," Harunobu addressed with as much respect as he could as they passed by several members of Taisha. "The device you delivered has been fine-tuned. We also discovered many breakthroughs just by taking the basic data imprinted in it, but time is of the essence so let's move straight to the issue."

"H-Huh…? I, is that so…?" Yuuna paused. "But… why aren't you asking about Karin-chan? She is your younger sister..."

The man did not stop as much as he slowed his pace so that Yuuna could see his profile. A bitter smile spread on Harunobu's face, and his eyes seemed to glow with sadness as if he had seen something ironic.

However, the man answered her question.

"As a member of Taisha, I am not allowed to tell the truth to anyone, especially the Heroes." The man cast his gaze down at Yuuna. "All of my movement is monitored. And I have made a vow so I cannot allow personal feelings to meddle with my duty."

"But…!"

"I'm sorry, Yuuna-sama, will you please let that topic go? You cannot afford to waste your time here."

With those two sentences, the girl shut her lips together and clenched her hands. She didn't like that. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. However, she also understood that Harunobu had his own reasons and forcing her opinion would simply ruin everything.

Even so...

"Karin-chan," Yuuna breathed out. "She worked really hard to be a Hero."

"I know."

"...She is an earnest girl. Even if she may show herself to be snappy, she would help those in troubles regardless of her own thoughts on the matter."

"That's just like her."

"...She also pushes their backs so that those troubled people can stand on their own feet. She's a very sweet girl."

"I'm sure she is."

"...Then, why?"

A short silence stretched, and Harunobu finally answered after he lowered his shoulders as he exhaled.

"...Because just like how she has something only she can do, I too have something only I can do." The older brother of her friend formed a thin smile. "If I abandoned my duty, then I won't be able to do what only I can do."

What did that mean? The man did not elaborate any further as if there was no more use for words.

He inhaled as he closed his eyes, and he slowly squared his shoulders and straightened his back as if resolving himself.

"Come, Yuuna-sama. I believe there is still something you can do, and if my hunch is correct…" Harunobu lifted his chin and pushed his glasses up. "The Heroes and that flying lizard will be the final pieces to resolve this crisis."

As the girl looked to the agent of Taisha, she took a step forward.

Then the world suddenly shook.

Everything was struck by powerful tremors. Not even Yuuna could anticipate that as she fell on her behind, and she looked around as the shaking did not stop.

She heard cries of confusion. She heard restlessness, anxiety, and fear washing over the air. Those sounds came from the hall far behind her, yet they reached her heart like an arrow flying straight from its bow.

However, she sensed something familiar so she strained her hearing.

It was difficult. Her senses had dulled so she felt like the world seemed less vibrant than before. Despite that, she locked away her stray thoughts and focused on the thing that took most of her attention.

When she realized what it was, Yuuna had gone back to the staircase and ascended to the top floor. She heard her name shouted several times but her mind was filled with only one thought.

 _I know this sound,_ the girl thought. _I knew this voice, I recognized it before and there's no way I can mistake it…!_

But why? What was going on? Why did she hear that sorrowful voice again?

When she reached the top floor and entered the outside terrace, for some reasons, there was no enemy in sight.

No, that was wrong. The Stardusts had scattered and fled toward the two holes in the sky. They all swarmed as if panicking and they left the barrier as if chased away by something.

What came next was too much of a shock that Yuuna rushed and raised her arms up.

"Tougou-san!"

As lustrous black hair fluttered in the air, Yuuna's arms caught her friend that had suddenly descended from the sky head first. Needless to say, the weight combined with the momentum caused her to stumble and the two fell to the wooden floor.

Yuuna immediately got up. Thankfully, none of them were hurt and as she cradled her best friend, Yuuna lightly shook Tougou in hope that she would wake up.

"Tougou-san? Tougou-san! Are you alright!? What happened!?"

It was strange. It was such a surprise that Yuuna couldn't comprehend it. Still, Tougou remained in her Hero garments with her eyes closed shut. When Yuuna found out Tougou was simply sleeping, her shoulders and relaxed and she sighed in relief.

However, why was her friend here? She saw the form of her other friend heading to the Outside World together with her, but why did Tougou return alone?

Where was her friend? Where is he?

"Where is—"

A bright light suddenly descended from the Outside World.

The girl winced. The light hurt her eyes and burned her skin. With arms raised above her head, Yuuna could see a bit with the shadows cast on her eyes, but what she saw petrified her in place.

"...Eh…?"

That sound left her lips because she truly did not know what was happening.

For some reasons, a second sun was breaking apart the barrier. The sky fell apart and burned away, the damages to the barrier spreading gradually like a crust of sweets eaten away by countless ants.

The Stardusts swam toward the sun, further bolstering its intensity, strength and size. The mere appearance of the celestial body dwarfed even the red moon and it might as well consume Shikoku with its sheer size.

Even so, a black silhouette could be seen.

Yuuna first thought it was just a black dot, a trick on the eye, but she could never be more wrong. As her eyes began to adapt, her memories associated the black figure with a scale-covered dragon that she knew far too well.

"...Ah…"

A living being floated in the path of the sun. It's limbs longer than a normal human with deep red bulky scales protecting its entire body. It let loose crimson aura as it roared, and it produced a how that shook all that it reached.

However, it was no use. The celestial body blanketed with fire and heat couldn't possibly be stopped. There was a tremendous gap of strength and even the Hero thought it was impossible to be dealt with.

In the next second, her prediction was broken by a ray of red light that sliced apart the falling sun.

The light split the sea, carved a line from the Walls to the shattered sky, and went all the way up. A chain of explosions followed after in the form of burning red spheres that evaporated the sea, devoured the air and destroyed the Walls.

It all happened so fast. It all happened in less than seconds that her brain couldn't process it at all.

Even so, the girl's gaze somehow glued itself to the black silhouette. The being remained there as something fell apart from the core of the sun.

Wisps of light ascended. White sands descended.

As the light faded and the burning red sky returned to envelop the land of Shikoku – a drastic change overtook the protector of the world.

His red scales expanded in size and sharpened at the edges. His shoulders broadened, the armors covering his back rising while six wings spread out from his back. The being lurched in place as his limbs dangled, then strength suddenly filled them as he looked up to the sky.

" **GYEYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!** "

A myriad of tortured curses roared out and shook the world.


	68. Chapter 56 - Remorse

Darkness dominated the world seen throughout his eyes. No matter where he went, the pure black background caught up and shrouded everything in a cold, lightless blanket.

Inside the darkness, a boy ran. The claws of darkness pursued him, but he fled without ever ceasing. He fled without looking back and reached out to the faint light ahead of him.

When his hand grasped it, light flooded his vision and the world erupted in colors.

He found himself standing in a ruined town. He looked up to the dark sky shimmering with red fire, and he looked back, spotting a fallen building blocking his path. The world of darkness he tried to run away from was, for some reasons, not there; it was as if it had never existed.

Swallowing a lump in his throat, the boy walked ahead, along with the sounds of his footsteps as his sole companion.

The ruined buildings had no signs of people living in there. All of them were in terrible shapes as if they had been abandoned for years, and the streets were covered with wild vegetation. The scents of dirt, dust, and green leaves brought to mind something familiar but he couldn't think of anything specific. He heard a roar from afar and whipped his head toward the sound, seeing only a piece of an iron girder groaning as it hung onto a damaged monolith-shaped building.

At the end of the broken road, he saw a tiled land.

 _"…"_

He heard something whispered in the winds. He thought he saw some human figures as well, so the boy ran in hopes of finding somebody… _anybody_ in this ruined world. His heart pounded in his chest and he gasped for air as he ran and ran and ran.

However, when he reached beyond the land that looked like a farm, he saw a ruin of a shrine.

A tall and lush tree was there. Its green leaves rustled in the winds, and they smelled like citrus; sour yet somewhat sweet and sharp. Beneath the tree were two figures leaning on each other, but the boy's next word was caught in his throat.

Two figures were there. To be more precise, two girls about the same age as him were sitting under the tree. They leaned their shoulders on each other, and light smiles fixated on their unmoving faces.

"…Ah…"

A choking sound leaked out from the boy's mouth.

One of the two wore a long red skirt and white Japanese dress, another was a girl in light green and white outfits that comfortably embraced her figure. Their smiles were soft with their eyes closed together. They looked as if they were taking a brief nap, but he couldn't be more wrong.

"…A, aah…!"

Something cracked while the world suddenly twisted.

He soon found himself in a land covered with gigantic roots, and he looked up. It was a familiar sight, but it was slightly different. The forest of roots was not overgrown, and he could still see the shapes of buildings, roads, light poles and electricity lines throughout the forest.

Feeling his heart beating unpleasantly, the boy refused to stand still and marched on.

He wandered and wandered until he saw the sky alight with explosions. He saw a figure flitting across the sky, a noise that resembled a scream, and sounds of destruction.

The boy hastened his pace, yet he heard more voices.

Somehow, he knew that he was already too late. The scene he saw suddenly reappeared and it took everything that he had just to not keel over. To keep himself from losing control, he did the best thing he could do at the moment.

The boy ran.

He told himself that it did not matter. He could not stop moving. He had one job, and that was to move forward even if he had to swallow up all of his sorrows.

Because of that, he ran and arrived at an intersection. He turned his head around, searching for the voice that made him move his limbs. He swiftly turned to the left.

Then he found what he was looking for.

He saw a battle. He saw a monster swiping down with an enormous tail with the tip of a stinger. It rained down attacks from the sky, using aerial superiority and reach to bombard a place where two human figures could be seen.

A tail pounded and brought walls of dirt up in front of him. The boy stepped back, shrieking but because of that, he was distracted. When his vision was no longer obstructed, he heard a bone-chilling sound the moment after a solid object shattered into pieces.

When he realized it, the battle was already over.

Two figures swayed in front of him. A pair of girls stood limply, their feet barely touching the grounds. One was a brown-haired girl whose arm was stretched forward, but that arm was pierced by a giant stinger that went through it, her chest, and her back.

That dull amber-colored stinger reached the girl behind her. Her soft green eyes widened as crimson stained her silky white dress, and the same stinger punctured her chest, exiting her back with blood dripping down from the tip.

A squelching noise was heard and the stinger violently pulled itself out of its two victims.

The two girls fell to the grounds. Their eyes started to lose its light. Their bodies twitching as they grew numb and their expressions were painted with immense agony.

The boy couldn't do anything. His feet were glued to the ground as he watched the two familiar strangers' lives vanish At the end of it, even though they had clearly lost the ability to see…

As the cold grasps of death claimed them, their hands moved and held each other.

 _"…I hope…"_

A raspy whisper echoed in the blowing winds.

 _"…the next time I'm reborn…"_

Strength left their bodies. Red and crystal clear tears lined down their cheeks. With a rose red bed pooling beneath the two…

 _"…it'd be nice if we… can be real sisters…"_

The scenery blurred past.

The world changed and took him away from the second tragedy he could not resolve nor prevent. He was pushed away from the past, and he saw a different place in the land of roots.

The boy heard a cry.

He turned around and watched the back of a girl in blue. She was kneeling on the ground, a black-haired girl's body cradled in her arms as red liquid dropped down and tainted both the crying girl and the grounds. He heard whispers in the winds that had grown clearer and louder, yet they were all overshadowed by the cry of grief and helplessness the girl in blue let out.

A name was heard. A name that pierced his soul and brought memories that he thought he had known before. A name that held so much importance that he wondered why he had forgotten about it.

Then, as the dying girl cast down her gaze, she breathed out and smiled.

 _"…Nogi…san… I…"_

The words she mustered all of her strength to say were her last.

 _"…I hate you, but…"_

The words that she uttered were full of emotions be it envy or even admiration.

 _"But… I adore you… just as much…"_

There was hatred… but there was something warm accompanying it. It was—

 _"…I loved you…"_

As the world once again blurred, the boy slowly became aware of what these tragedies were all about.

They were memories. Memories of the past were bleeding into his mind. These were all memories of someone that was put in a similar position to Issei.

Someone in the past once knew these girls.

Someone once possessed love and regrets so great that they were passed on to him who lived in the present yet not knowing of the long forgotten past.

The lingering thoughts stored within the Boosted Gear reached out to him and told him tales without a happy ending.

 _"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh!"_

A roar shattered the world and brought him back to a forest of endless conflicts.

Explosions spread out and destruction rained down from the sky.

Monsters in all forms and sizes attacked. They came from the heavens to erase all living beings that inhabited the world, but a figure impeded their invasion with unbelievable zeal.

A girl leaped through the sky. Her arms held gigantic _tekko_ gloves, her outfits lined with black, white and pink that descended into the deep crimson. When the girl swung her limbs, violent winds tore the ground and waves of cursed flames razed the armies of monsters.

The girl clad in illogical power was truly that of a demon – an _Oni._

As the demon-possessed girl fought, the monsters fought back. Wounds accumulated and the girl faltered several times. Even so, even as her horns broke and blood sprayed out from her wounds, the girl fought and fought and fought.

Times passed. The army of monsters continued to attack and yet the girl refused to retreat.

Her knuckles shattered. Her bones broke and her flesh was torn apart. The girl was inches away from death, but she continued to fight while yelling out an indomitable fighting spirit.

 _"No matter how many times it takes—"_

As the demon pushed forward, she continued to lose parts of herself.

 _"We'll get up and try again…!"_

As she got up and fought, she sacrificed all that she had for the sake of everything that she loved.

 _"I am…! The Hero! Takashima Yuuna…!"_

The world blurred and the figure of the girl vanished in a storm of fire that burned everything away. Eventually, darkness prevailed and the boy descended into the abyss.

He fell helplessly. Tears poured from his eyes as he let out a cry that shook the pitch-black hell.

"Aa…! AaaaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!"

His crumbling heart roared to the world.

He raised his left hand in hopes that he could grasp something, _anything_ that could save both himself and the people he could not save. He wished from the bottom of his heart that even someone like him could change the hellish world he had just experienced.

 _I don't want this,_ the boy thought. _I hate this, make it stop…!_

But nobody listened. Nothing answered his pleas. The boy screamed until he lost his voice, and then…

'Even so, it would always stay like this.'

Voices of young and old echoed. Voices of men and women reverberated throughout the impenetrable darkness, and the boy's lips moved by themselves, reciting words that he did not know yet dreaded so much.

 ** _[I, who is about to awaken, am the Heavenly Dragon that has stolen the principles of Domination from God.]_**

His muscles tensed and he lost all feelings over his senses. At the same time, the voices surrounding him breathed out.

'Again and again and again...'

 ** _[I laugh at the "Infinite" and I grieve at the "Dream"—]_**

'Because we seek power to surpass all miracles and curses.'

It could not be stopped. It could not be held down. It could not be chained or confined any longer. As the maddening power surged forth from the depths of his soul, it shattered through any binding in place and overtook his entire existence in a blink of an eye.

 ** _[I shall become the Red Dragon of Domination—]_**

That cursed power was one inherited by him. That power was something that had accumulated despair, hatred, and insanity long before the start of the Divine Era.

It was a symbol that displayed the truth the boy would one day face.

'Because we desired love. A love that exceeds even the God's all-encompassing love...'

That power's name was _—_

 ** _[Juggernaut Drive!]_**

The world of darkness cracked and shattered. As crimson light devoured all that existed, the boy controlled by myriads of curses howled, everything that made him who and what he is ceased from existing. In the end...

'...In the very end – the path we choose is one of destruction. A path leading down to the depths of the crimson purgatory.'

* * *

The girl stood in silence.

Surrounded by a garden of flowers, the girl looked up at the burning sky. Her eyes widened, but soon she winced as she felt pain invading her mind.

The gods whispered to her. Of a tale that has long since ended. Of a despair that was forced to be taken down by the hands of a great Hero. Of a sorrowful story between a dragon and six flowers.

"...What, is…"

As she trembled, words containing strong emotions washed over her entire being. Her senses were numbed, but her heart was touched by past voices that faded away in the face of absolute despair.

 _...It hurts..._

The pain she felt was incomparable to the stories she had come to know until now. Even more than the sadness felt by a lonely girl who had survived yet losing all that she treasured, Kokudou Aya felt air being choked out of her lungs and she staggered back.

"Oops," a voice came from behind as she felt her back being supported by a large hand. "You okay there, missy?"

The girl looked up. She saw a man with locks of golden and black hair smiling softly at her, and he gazed down with eyes possessing indescribable amount emotions. It was… it felt as if he was seeing someone else in her, someone who had acted similarly to her.

"...You're a sharp girl, aren't you…?" The black-winged man sighed. "Since this is an extra service, you'd better listen."

Aya looked past the man and he followed her gaze. The two stared at the floating figure of a red dragon that glimmered in the shimmering red sky.

"The thing up there is an embodiment of lingering thoughts." The man nudged with his chin. "In other words, the phantoms of Boosted Gear's previous hosts have broken free and taken control of the current host. This created a bug in a bug, and it's known as the Juggernaut Drive."

As he explained, his eyes narrowed.

"Normally, this kind of event would force my group to head out for a big battle."

"...That's…"

The man nodded. "There's no other choice but to kill the host of Boosted Gear."

Aya's blood turned frighteningly cold. The words the man uttered were facts. There was no lie and it was humorless; as if the man was reciting simple facts.

Even so, what he intended to do was simply murder. It would not solve anything and if what he said was the truth, then the Boosted Gear would simply be passed down to someone who knew no better. History would simply repeat itself again and again and again.

"...Y-You can't…!" Aya cried out. "You can't do that…!"

There was no way that would solve anything.

There was no way that such a cruel act would undo the chains of evil that had stolen so many things from so many people. Even if she was labeled as a child that couldn't accept reality, she would refuse that sort of evil even if it was necessary.

Because… _Because I…!_

"I can't allow that…!" Aya shouted. "I don't want to see anyone suffering more than this…!"

Yes. That was it.

That's all there is to it. For the Shrine Maiden - for Kokudou Aya, all she wanted was just that. Such thing was impossible to acquire even if humanity continued to advance. As long as people held their own feelings, what she truly wanted would never be granted to her.

 _But—_

"...Then you should go for it without ever giving up, missy."

Aya stilled. Her eyes widened as they reflected the figure of the black-winged man. A grin formed on his sharp face, and he looked back at her before shifting his gaze toward a certain spot in the garden.

The man gave a sidelong glance at the Shinju.

"Can you hear it, the wish of this priestess of yours? She's raised in a wonderful way, to speak her feelings out despite her duty stating that she must offer her entirety to you."

 _And so,_ the black-winged angel added.

"If you think I'm here just to watch the conclusion of a tragic tale once more, you're totally wrong. After all…" The man's gaze narrowed as his smile displayed absolute confidence. "The world will change once again… and it's going to head in a new direction."

* * *

I have to go."

The man raised his head. Facing the girl's back, all Harunobu could think of was how similar that back was to Karin's. It made him more aware of how awful he had been as an older brother to that girl.

However…

"Please wait," Harunobu said. "You cannot possibly hope to fight against the Sekiryuutei."

Now that the Juggernaut Drive was activated, there was no way to stop him.

It wasn't because there was a lack of effort in proving that wrong. It was a certainty born out of recorded facts inherited from the Old Era.

"The Juggernaut Drive that boy used is a complete one," Harunobu inhaled. "Even if you stop it, the person inside is no longer…"

"He's still there!"

The red-haired girl slowly stood up before her unconscious friend. Her shoulders were trembling, her hands were clenched tight, and her voice seemed to be mixed with anger and desperation.

They told Harunobu that Yuuki Yuuna refused to give up hope.

"...He's still there," the girl said. "If not, he wouldn't have left Tougou-san here. He wouldn't have saved her. He is… Ise-senpai is still there."

The girl looked up.

"I have to help him."

Her words resounded firm and resolute without a single doubt. The girl displayed fear, but she also displayed unbending courage; even against despair.

 _No wonder,_ Harunobu thought as he processed the truth he had come upon. _So this is what a Hero is._

In Taisha, Heroes could not be said to uphold the idealistic image related to them. One could even say that as far as the theocratic organization was concerned, Heroes were figures of worship at best, valuable human resources for most of the time, and expensive battle assets at worst. The idea of them being teenage girls with their own dreams and feelings were never in consideration.

 _Even so…_

"But what if he's long gone now?" The man took a step forward and raised his chin to see the silhouette of the six-winged avatar of destruction. "What if your efforts to save him fail? What will you do if it's already too late?"

As the girl's eyes widened, Harunobu narrowed his gaze.

"When everything turns out to be useless in the very end, what will you do?"

He had to ask not because he was pushed by the restrictive obligations.

He simply desired to know if the things his co-worker had bet on were truly on the right. He did not care about the morality issue. He cared about whether or not the path laid beyond him was 'the right thing'.

So he asked. He demanded an answer, and if the girl could say it, then…

"...That'd be difficult to answer…"

Hearing a familiar voice, both Harunobu and Yuuna turned their heads. They stared at the edge of the open-roofed terrace, and they saw deep blue, almost violet flower petals dancing in the air.

With the ruined city as the backdrop, a veil of dirty blonde hair cascaded alongside white Japanese dress. It was heavily modified to ensure ease of movements, but Harunobu knew better. The color and style of the dress symbolized how much divinity a Hero possessed.

And so, the one standing across from him was undoubtedly a goddess. If not, a demigod about to reach full godhood.

"...Sonoko-sama…"

The girl with bandages covering most of her body waved in greeting. Her smile softened when her gaze lowered down, and then she looked up, meeting Yuuki Yuuna's gaze head-on.

"Hi again… Yuuna-chan," Nogi Sonoko greeted. "Fancy meeting you here. Are you going to fetch Han-kun...?"

In the first few seconds, the red-haired girl did not speak of anything. However, she eventually responded to the question thrown at her with a nod. The first generation Hero's smile widened at that, and she looked past Yuuki Yuuna.

"Harunobu-san," Sonoko called out. "If it's alright with you, can I answer your question?"

...So it has come to this. Harunobu could only exasperate. One after another, there was no telling what the future might hold. In the end, he turned out to be a coward; he tried to take the easy way out by shoving his problem to a person unrelated to it.

 _Have I been this callous?_ Harunobu did not know the answer for certain, but if that was truly the case, then… he could only blame himself for not realizing the changes to his personality.

"Will this trouble you?" The man asked.

"It will not," the girl who had sacrificed so much replied. "After all… I have always been aware of those questions ever since two years ago."

Harunobu's eyes widened. They then narrowed and he took a harsh breath in.

In the passing silence, Sonoko paced forward. She did not produce footsteps; strips of white cloth spread out from behind her back, supporting her body while they independently shifted to grant her movement.

"Harunobu-san… you are not wrong," the girl with dirty-blonde hair answered. "It is true that there are times where we are too late to do anything. There are also times where we can't do anything to change the outcome, no matter what we do."

Some wrappings of her bandages loosened and they fluttered in the warm summer winds, but that strengthened the self-loathing and guilt felt by the man who helped to design the Hero System.

It was hard, meeting the gaze of the one whose happiness he had stolen from.

"Even so – we can't stop walking forward… right?"

The words that reached him forced him to look up. The man looked at Nogi Sonoko as she strained a thin smile.

What did that expression carry? What did she feel when she came to know the truth several years ago? It must have been hard. It must have been painful. It must have hurt her greatly and twisted her.

And Harunobu of all people knew that it was truly the case.

The girl had lost all faith in those she once believed in. She had crumbled and broke apart. Nogi Sonoko was merely a child who was born in the wrong era under the wrong fate; nobody could blame her when she lashed out and cursed the world for stealing her happiness.

The girl once told Taisha this: _why did you keep this a secret?_

The girl once wondered aloud in front of the priests and priestesses: _why would you believe that the gods aren't just using humans as pawns for their game?_

The girl once cried out: _give it back, give it all back. Give back everything that we lost…!_

Those words bearing hostility and hatred were carved in his heart. Ever since then, he was exceedingly aware of his sins and lived with them. The words 'it couldn't be helped' were not something that could be used forever.

There is always a limit to everything, even the spirit of the most courageous—

"...But…" Harunobu drew out a rough breath. "...Even so, even if there's nothing waiting at the end of our path… we will still have to keep on moving…"

He remembered. He remembered why he was in Taisha. Why did he rise in ranks so quickly? What drove him to work so hard?

 _I want to change this hellish world—_

And so the young prodigy nodded resolutely. He hid his eyes away by bowing down his head, and he made a decision that would never be shaken by anything; not even gods or the wheel of destiny.

"Very well," Harunobu said. "Please wait for a bit. The device Yuuna-sama brought in will play a large part, but I believe it is also capable of one thing that Ichirou seemed to have considered beforehand."

The red-haired girl looked back to him in surprise.

"As much as I hate to admit it…" Harunobu straightened his back and pushed his glasses up. "...It seems he found a way to undo the curse of Juggernaut Drive by cooperating with Grigori in secret."

* * *

A crimson star shone in the sky, and it let loose a roar that shook the world.

It was neither bestial nor human-like. It was a sound composed of countless voices. Of men and women, of young and old… All sorts of voices screamed out with resentment that pierced deep into one's heart.

Then the embodiment of those tortured voices moved.

The dragon spread his limbs. His scales trembled, his tail swayed and his wings stretched wide as if trying to envelop the sky. The light that reduced all into nothingness permeated from his body as his blood red eyes gazed down.

The dragon inhaled – and he let loose crimson rays of light from his entire body.

 **"Gyeyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaakggh!"**

As the rays of light lined over the earth, all was quiet for a moment. In the next moment domes of light exploded and the areas they engulfed turned into massive craters.

Lines of red light painted the world and destruction claimed all that was struck by those light.

They carved the earth, the sea, the sky, and everything else. Flames erupted after them and a toxic scent filled the atmosphere.

The lands shook in pain. The ocean split in anguish. The sky crumbled as it wept.

Amidst it all, sparks continued to scatter and spread across the land. Embers danced with deadly tempers. The once red sky soon darkened and the dragon rampaged to his heart's content.

However – it could not fulfill the tortured voices' despair. It wasn't enough. It wasn't enough. It will never be enough.

More. More. More. More. Destroy more, reject this world, steal all principles and go against all that existed. Just like before. Again and again and again.

The moment the dragon flapped his wings, ferocious winds scattered in various directions. They washed over the blazing land and fanned the flames.

Heat sweltered. Chaos spread. He heard faint cries and sensed life withering. There was satisfaction in seeing the unfolded destruction. There was a delighted feeling that lightened the burdens on his wings and shoulders.

But it wasn't nearly enough. It could never be enough.

More. More. More more more—

 **"...Gh...kg…?** "

The dragon suddenly stilled.

For some reason. For some reason, it sensed something. A presence… no, a scent. It was a scent different from what he had spread throughout the enclosed world.

The dragon lifted his head. His blood red eyes held no reason or even logic, yet something gleamed beneath the pools of crimson madness. Something was up in the air. Something familiar was coming.

It was…

It was the scent of a flower.

 **"Grrgh…!"**

That scent struck him. It shook him to the very core of his twisted being, but he suppressed it as the voices of the damned reigned supreme. Faint whispers told him that there was no way a flower could bloom.

After all, those that he wished to protect had long wilted, killed by the beings that ruled from above. Their fates had already been decided, and nothing could ever bring them back to life. In other words...

This flower was a fake. It was an imitation. It was just a copy that tried to convince him, and such effort trampled the memories he had carved deep into his existence.

He would fight it. He would resist and destroy all that stood before him, including the fake flower that loomed ahead of him.

That was what drove him to move in the first place. That desire, that lingering regret, and hatred were all that remained, so he would fulfill his greatest attachment to the world and end everything. It no longer mattered whether or not the world cared. It didn't care whatever thing fate and destiny planned for him.

As the dragon roared, his wings spread and he flew as a streak of red light. In the burning sky, flames blazed and smokes dispersed around the single-minded lump of hatred.

The more he moved, the more he forgets.

The more he lived, the more everything that made his existence crumbled.

Even so, he would continue to advance.

For the sake of one last selfishness. For a cause that began to blur and faded into haziness… For something that he could no longer remember yet holds dearly—

The Juggernaut expelled a roar and flapped his wings.


	69. Chapter 57 - Fire

The burning black sky lit up.

How many times had 'he' seen this pitch-black color? 'His' earliest memories were painted by the picture of a tilted land managed by two young priestesses. 'He' had stumbled into that sacred place out of curiosity, met those two protectors of Suwa, and they gave him hope that even if the world would end tomorrow, they would live through it all without losing anything.

'He' earnestly prayed for that small wish to be granted, but that hope was easily crushed.

Every single seed 'he' sowed would wilt without being allowed to bloom completely. All 'he' could do at that time was standing aside because 'he' was always, _always_ one step too late.

 _But why,_ the will that resided within the dragon wondered. _Why is everything always crumbling away?_

No matter how hard 'he' tried to stop the end from coming. No matter how much efforts 'he' put to ensure that 'his' happiness would last. No matter how many times 'he' tried to fight back against the rolling tides… 'he' would always be swept aside and lose everything.

 _'I' hate that,_ the fragmented wills spoke out. _'We' hate that despair, 'we' cursed the heavens, blamed the Infinite, and desired for an unreachable Dream._

'He' decided. With that 'he' fought to the bitter end… and cast away everything for the sake of a dream that 'he' could never attain.

The hollowed shell knew not of who they were.

Were they human? Were they a man? Were they a woman? Were they a child? Were they an adult?

 _'I' don't remember,_ the hollow shell mused. _'We' can no longer remember_ who _'we' were, or even_ what _'we' were._

The collective of lingering thoughts merely obeyed its instinct that desired power to accomplish a single objective. It wished for something that it could not remember. It could not draw a clear picture of it, it could not even relate to it, and it was unable to describe what it had once prayed for.

Even so, the vessel it had come to possess… _He_ had something that was extremely close to the desire it once sought. It still did not know what that something truly was. It could not recall it, but it knew that this vessel acquired something that was definitely the closest interpretation of what that unreachable Dream was.

 _Yes,_ the collective of phantoms from the distant past agreed. _This must be it, this must be the dream 'we' once sought._

Its mind cleared up. The collective of lingering thoughts acted in unison, entranced by the vessel's Dream, and searched for an outcome where no one would live in sorrow.

It would do everything necessary to achieve that Dream. It would crush any opposition, go against the world, and incinerate the heavens if that's what's needed to realize that Dream. Thus…

 ** _"Those who stand in 'our' path – let the flames of the crimson purgatory devour them."_**

* * *

Deep violet flower petals scattered from the heavens.

Orbs of light emerged and filled the airspace above Shikoku like a sea of stars. The unique presence of divine power oozed from those lights and each one took the shape of a floating blade.

The ruler of the sky… that was, a crimson dragon, stopped his advent and craned his angular head.

Before he could process what was happening, a figure ascended from the scorched Earth. A gigantic spear burst forth in front of him and impacted the giant beast's torso.

"Kh…!"

A human figure could be seen holding the spear, but her expression contorted in surprise as the tip of her spear could not scratch or even dent the scales of the red dragon.

When she heard an irritated growl, the spear user immediately detached the blade of her spear and fell with the help of gravity.

Divinity coursed outward from her body and took the shape of another floating blade which became a landing platform for the girl to stand on. She was about to regain her balance when she gasped as if out of breaths.

Without wasting time, the girl jumped to the side.

A hulking mass of razor-sharp scales struck down the floating blade she was once on. The red dragon grasped the divinity-infused piece of weapon and he easily shattered it into tiny shards with just a trickle of strength.

 **"Ghhrr…!"**

The dragon chased after his prey. He turned around, kicked at the empty air hard enough to form a platform and leaped – exceeding the speed of sound without even trying.

The dragon roared as he swung down his right arm. The winds were torn apart and the tree-like arm could easily reach its target, but the dragon's extended claws collided with several small forms that had suddenly appeared right above the girl.

Sparks scattered. The blood red eyes caught the visage of the demigod with golden blonde hair as her unblinking left eye reflected his enormous figure.

"Han...kun…!" The girl muttered as if she was calling out to someone.

Sounds of destruction rang out. Her voice fell on deaf ears. The dragon roared, pushed forward, and deflected the artificial spirits, their divine protection letting out purplish sparks, and their owner followed their fate like a leaf thrown into the mercy of the winds.

Was she in pain? Was she hurt? The beast didn't care.

He chased after the girl bearing the divine power he detested with all of his might. At the same time, he focused all of his thoughts and desired for an attack that would reach her. The divine constructs clinging to his body responded, several scales attached to his limbs and abdomen slid in various directions, then they revealed gun barrels protruding from his body.

Immense power gathered within those stretched out gun muzzles before crimson rays of light immediately pierced through the blackened heavens.

The clouds of smoke dispersed. The winds split apart. Whining sounds resembling low-frequency screams filled the atmosphere, and embers of light danced.

Amidst it all, the Hero streaked across the sky, avoiding any attack that could have roasted her with the help of the continuous-summoning of her blade platforms. Seven Fairies manifested around her to block the remaining destructive beams of light, but after each attack landed, her complexion paled and beads of sweat formed on her skin.

The girl breathed out loudly. Tiredness began to catch up. She was slowly worn down as the fighting went on.

Even if she was immortal, her energy was not infinite. She had limits as an incomplete deity that was neither human nor god. The dragon only needed to spread havoc as much as he could while keeping this pest at bay.

And yet, for reasons beyond his understanding—

Despite being aware of her situation, the incomplete deity with the heart of a human persisted on desiring victory.

She leaped through the sky when she kicked off of a blade platform. Her spear lashed out, grazing the dragon's left shoulder and piercing through the membranes of his left wings. The girl then landed on another blade platform waiting far behind the dragon as he tried to swat her away.

"Go…!"

Yelling out a battle cry, the girl overtook the wind and became a streak of lightning. Her desire provided her with the strength to move and the divine power dwelling in her small body bestowed upon her a sharp increase of battle capacity.

With the blade platforms as her stage, the girl leaped from one place to another. She rocketed off and bounced as she attacked, striking true while dodging the dragon's counterattacks barely in time. He swung his arms, flapped all of his wings, and snapped his jaw but the damage he received gradually accumulated.

The dragon decided enough was enough and chased after the spear user.

He fired pillars of light that could melt even heat-resistant steel alloys and reduced the numbers of the blade platforms dramatically, but the girl continued fighting with ever-increasing combat performance.

Before long, the dragon could not keep up with the erratic movements of the Hero.

Before long, the Hero exceeded the dragon and carved larger wounds onto her opponent.

Blood sprayed. Scales broke apart with metallic sounds. The dark heavens were decorated with light and solid noise as the dragon and the maiden danced to the death.

"Aaaaaaaaaahhhh!"

Eventually, all things came to an end.

In the storm of light, the red dragon's back rippled and a third arm suddenly sprouted out. It was longer than his other limbs and it whipped down, grabbing ahold of the spear aiming for his torso.

The girl gasped, but the beast lunged and slammed his shoulder into her. The Fairies protected her just in time but the shockwave blasted the Hero away.

 **"RrrooooOOOOOOOOHHHH!"**

The dragon flew. His six wings folded in and eight thrusters extended out of his back and shoulders. Blue jets erupted before they turned red. As air detonated – the Red Dragon Emperor vanished from the sky and reappeared right above the girl.

"Wh…!?"

The Hero quickly raised her spear to defend herself. Even so, an unexpected attack came in the form of a pair of claws grabbing her weapon as well as her body.

"Ngh…!?"

This time, the air detonated from above the dragon.

Gravity accelerated their descent. Both the girl and the beast dived at terminal velocity, struck the earth and carved out a crater that crushed everything in a radius of a hundred meters.

"Kahg…!" The girl spat out crimson fluid as the impact destroyed her body from within. "Agh…! Ah…!"

Something cracked. Something was pulverized. The girl bearing the fake scent could be wounded, so the dragon filled his limbs with strength in order to crush her.

Even so—

"...Please…!"

Suddenly, the head of her spear separated itself and multiplied around her. The copies of the spearheads rapidly extended upward like towers emerging from the depths of the earth, striking the dragon and forcibly released her from being crushed to death.

However, the tail of the beast wrapped itself around her waist and pulled her along. The jagged tail constricted and tightened its hold as it dragged her up to the sky.

The girl cried out as she felt her body being crushed. It threw her down, smashing her entire body against the solid earth a few times.

Something snapped and the girl's left arm flailed loosely. Something burst and warm liquid drenched the girl's face and head.

She glared down, bit her lips, and swung her spear – cutting off the tail of the dragon with a powerful crescent slash.

 **"Rrrgaaaaaah!?"**

The dragon howled in pain. He turned his head but the presence of his opponent had vanished. Before he noticed, the tip of a spear stabbed into his left eye and dug into his skull.

"...Return him…!" The spear user shouted as she pushed her spear deeper. "Return Han-kun to me…!"

The dragon howled. He broke apart the spear's blade with a swing of his left arm. Deep red blood sprayed and the beast faltered for a split second, but he grabbed the iron shard embedded in his eye and pulled it out.

A sound of tearing flesh resonated between the two fighting.

 **"Ghh…!"** The juggernaut hissed as white breath leaked out from his mouth. **"Oooooooohhh…!"**

He leaped.

He threw his scaled arms forward. The claws shredded the air and gouged the earth, but the girl reacted in time to avoid them all; thrusting her spear forward as the bladed claws flew only a centimeter away from dismembering her body.

The dragon hissed as the blade of the spear embedded itself into his abdomen. It didn't pierce through the inner scales, but the armors were penetrated and the destructive aura surrounding it was cut apart like a leaf sliced by a finely honed sword.

"It must be painful—"

A voice echoed as floating blades manifested behind him. The dragon widened his eyes but he was too late.

"But," the gold-haired Hero whispered. "We are here for you."

The series of blades rained down and pierced through the dragon's back.

* * *

 _...I hate this._

Sonoko didn't like fighting against her friend. She wasn't the type capable of making friends, and a lot of people tended to be intimidated because she was Nogi Sonoko.

 _I don't want this…_

The girl had no other choice. _It couldn't be helped_ , she thought, but was it truly the case this time around too? Did she truly have no other choice?

She hated how she had to wound her loved one. She wanted to stop and berate herself when she saw blood spilling out from that person's body.

Even so, the eyes the dragon held did not possess any warmth or even kindness she was familiar with.

 _Why are you taking everything that I have left?_

Was the world still unsatisfied after taking her best friends away from her side? Was her life as a normal person not enough as a sacrifice? Were her efforts, hope, and despair not enough to save even a single person?

She wanted to shout out in anger. She had a limit of patience and she was nearing the breaking point ever since a year ago.

Even so… above everything, Sonoko would never wish for anyone, much less her loved ones to know that ugly side of her.

The girl swallowed down her emotions and resisted. She struggled and now she had toppled her opponent. As red stained the ground, the slumped figure of the dragon made her aware that she had forgotten to breathe.

However, Sonoko realized that without her heart, there was no reason for her to worry about breathing even if there was no air around her. She had just reacted badly and reflexively thought that she was _still_ a flesh and blood human.

"...I…"

The girl couldn't move her left arm. It was dislocated from the shoulder joint, and whenever she tried to move, the burning pain made her wince.

Even though Fairies were designed to protect her from death, injuries could still be sustained. There were loopholes and the Hero System had been weakened considerably due to the absence of the connection between the Shinju, Taisha and the leylines.

 _I can't even use Mankai without supplying it with my own power…_

She could use the Trump Card, of course, but it could only be used once and it didn't seem to be necessary.

All she needed to do was to wait—

 **[Explosion!]**

Sonoko widened her eyes and saw dirt kicking up. She raised her spear but a red blur slammed against her and destroyed her weapon.

Everything happened so fast.

Everything happened in less than an instance.

Before she knew it, the world spun around her and her back smashed through a row of walls. The light flickered in and out, sounds drowned out and they reappeared only after the momentum had left her.

She didn't even notice she had screamed, and a particularly terrible impact shook her brain. When control returned to her body, she felt the ground was much closer and for some reasons, she couldn't feel both of her legs.

She tried to get up. She had to. There was a duty she must perform.

Even so, the girl couldn't even do anything. A giant pile of debris fell nearby. The lights phasing through the windows told her she was in an abandoned building, and the ceiling caved in to let a deep red light descend from above.

A dragon clad in blood red color landed in front of her.

"...Ah…"

What was she supposed to do? What could she do?

"...That's just… unfair…"

She had been tricked. How could she not remember the hyper regeneration provided by Juggernaut Drive?

Sonoko was aware of Boosted Gear's abilities and what it was capable of as a self-evolving divine relic, but Sonoko didn't know that it could be focused on one aspect. No, that wasn't all.

The collective of wills controlling the dragon had learned and used human tactics against her. It had crumpled down to make Sonoko believe that she had won, thus causing her to let her guard down. It sent her flying because it had to launch a decisive attack that doubled as a distraction, and then it used the remaining power to heal itself.

Now that it had completely recovered, the energy it had gained by burning the soul of Hyoudou Issei allowed it to fight in a condition far better than when it first confronted Sonoko.

Again and again and again, until the existence it overtook was snuffed out – the Juggernaut Drive would continue on its quest to destroy everything it hated.

"...I…"

Claws grasped her body, pierced her reinforced outfits, and dug into her skin.

The Fairies appeared all around her but the dragon opened its jaw and breathed out a crimson fire that burned them away.

Sonoko's eyes widened as the protection of the Fairies was canceled out, but a theory emerged inside her hazy mind. It was different. It was as if the breath of fire had incinerated the divine protection and erased it from existing.

It was an overwhelming power that could slay even the divinity of gods.

"Agh…!?"

Strength filled the claws and the sharp claws dug into her flesh. Blood spilled as her entire body was slowly being crushed, and the world started to fade into black.

 _It hurt. It hurt. It's painful. Stop it._

Sonoko's mind clouded over. She couldn't breathe, but she wondered if her immortality would simply force her body to regenerate itself. The pain would be insane, but at least she would survive through it.

Even so… would she allow it?

"...Han…kun…!"

Would she let him suffer more than this?

"...I…"

Would she give up despite all that she had said and done?

"...I… won't…!"

She would not give up. She would no longer surrender and say that 'it couldn't be helped'. She would no longer stand idly, and she would no longer live by dwelling on the past.

The girl trembled as she struggled. Her right arm lifted up, supported by tendrils of white cloth like crutches. The creaking and snapping noise began to fill the air, but even if she had to endure the unbearable suffering—

 _"...Mankai…!"_

Upon Sonoko's call, power was set free from the core of her being. Light burst forth, a bird of light tore its way out of the dragon's deadly clutches, and soared towards the heavens as it carried away the girl that summoned it.

* * *

The beast possessed by madness looked up.

The light far above him temporarily vanished, revealing a white ship with six sword-shaped 'oars' extending out from its sides. A figure clad in white stood on top of the flying warship and her golden blonde hair fluttered as flower petals scattered around her.

"Come…!" The accursed enemy shouted.

Answering her challenge, the beast flew and shrouded himself in a crimson light that expanded outward.

As he reached the same altitude the demigod was at, he had already transformed into a twelve-meter tall dragon with golden horns protruding from his skull. Thick short legs spread below, the jagged tail regrew itself and stretched even further than before, a pair of arms covered by a texture similar to an old tree with four claws tensed up, and the scales resembling molten lava glimmered as they reflected the color of the scorched earth and the burning red moon.

 **"GrrraaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAGGH!"**

The roar the beast produced shook the world.

Glass could be heard shattering throughout Shikoku. Buildings toppled and trees hung down as if frightened.

Despite the display of power, the Hero clad in light calmly inhaled and glared at him. The fake flower oozing with a familiar scent shrouded herself within the feathers of light and became a demonic raven.

Without hesitation, the two charged and crossed paths.

The dragon became a streak of red while the raven became a streak of purple. The two soared and spiraled upward as they clashed, struggling against each other in hopes of dominating their enemy.

The two fired arrows of light when they were apart from each other, and they slammed their entire mass and strength against each other when they were close. The two beasts fought as they tore through the winds and decorated the sky above Shikoku with beams of light that stretched beyond the horizon.

At some point, the dragon saw the fabric of reality twisting around them. He saw the broken sky mended from the damages it had sustained, and flakes of light floated up from the ruined lands as the remaining flames ceased to exist.

From afar, he detected unique pulsating sounds and he became increasingly aware that something had reawakened the life-force sleeping beneath this barren earth.

A cold wind blew past the dragon's wings. It felt as if his body had suddenly become twice as heavy.

What had happened? It took a moment for the dragon to know something was wrong. It took another moment after the latest collision with the raven for him to realize that the damage he had accumulated had the effect of draining his strength.

He immediately looked down at a certain place. The dragon saw a tree surrounded by man-made structures glowing, its divine lights blinding, the splendors the tree possessed filling the miniature garden like a beacon in the darkness.

It was then that the dragon came to a certain conclusion. The damages the girl received. The seemingly drawn-out methods she had used to fight against him. The uncanny timing of the events unfolding around him, and the nature of the abominable deities who ruled this land that had once stolen everything from him…

 _Everything was a diversion to forge a new power that absorbs other power…!_

 **"GyeyyaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAGH!"**

Rage consumed his entire being. Hatred and disgust dyed the world seen through his blood red eyes.

The dragon instantaneously changed direction and rapidly accelerated. Distorted emotions and desires fueled the Boosted Gear to further evolve itself, and he headed toward the divine tree that kept on interfering with his most cherished desire from being granted.

He exceeded the raven's acceleration. He overpowered his enemy as it smashed at him, but…

"I won't let you…!"

The raven soared up and crashed down on top of the dragon. He tried to shake it off but the raven plucked his wings, pierced his scales with six blades that erupted out of its body, and then brought him down toward a ruined bridge that faced the sea.

A great sound of destruction rang out.

Metallic screams reverberated. As the earth trembled, the two mythical beasts' weight could no longer be supported by the rusty and damaged frames of the bridge. The two soon fell into the sea, creating pillars of water that rose higher than the buildings that had remained standing around the bridge.

The monster clad in red scales emerged from the water. White steam and water vapors exuded from its entire body. It looked down and swung its arms to pin the bird of light in place, ripped off its head with a violent snap of his fangs and jaws, and crushed its chest with a mighty stomp of his right foot.

When he found resistance no longer remaining, the armors covering his torso opened up; a cannon barrel extended out as light gathered in the muzzle—

"AaaaaaaAAAAAAAAHHH!"

A human figure suddenly flew out of the carcass of the raven.

The headless demonic beast's form dissolved into particles of light, leaving behind only a damaged capsized ship as her owner summoned a gigantic spearhead on top of the pole.

The spearhead rotated and spun like a drill. The steel halo floating behind the girl let loose rings of water vapors as her white dress dissolved into petals of light.

The girl soared and struck the chest of the dragon. The world shook, impact coursed through his body and he screamed as warm liquid sprang to his throat and sprayed out of his mouth.

Following after that, a great explosion engulfed him as the focused energy he tried to gather ran amok from the sudden interruption.

Destruction spread in the form of shockwaves. The air vibrated, the ruined bridge crumbled completely and the ocean waves raged as if devoured by a typhoon.

The juggernaut had his back slammed against the last pillar supporting the bridge. Pieces of concrete fell upon his colossal body, and the supporting lines attached to the bridge whipped down and bound the monster in place.

He roared as he caught sight of the fallen figure of his enemy. She was kneeling in front of him. The girl had lost all of the divine lusters she had just displayed.

She raised her broken body from the top of the pile of rubble that had just been formed, and she glared at the beast without an ounce of fear residing in her dull brown eyes that reflected no light.

The girl took a deep breath—

"Yuuna-chan, please…!" She shouted. "Reach him! Take him back…!"

The dragon looked up as a new presence flew down from the sky. A girl clad in white fluttered into view, streaked past the falling debris as if guided by foresight, and the beast widened his eyes as the past and the present overlapped.

 _"Save him…!"_

The scent of a flower reached him.

 _It's there._ It was that familiar scent.

Even though it shouldn't have existed, it was here, right before his eyes. It was something he should have lost, yet… _and yet…!_

 **"...Yuu…na—!"**

The dragon raised his left arm to grasp the flower – but that nostalgic scent drifted down toward his damaged chest.

"Hero…!" The girl clenched her right hand that was holding a white thin case and drew her right arm back to the limits. "PUUUUUUUUNNCHH!"

Yuuki Yuuna hammered a decisive blow in – and the world was devoured by a blinding white light.


	70. Interlude - A Pillar of Light

Explosions tore the ruined town.

Concretes and light posts fell. As power lines snapped, buildings crumbled as if bombs were set off within them. There were also walls thoroughly sliced apart without blemishes and pieces of roof tiles cleanly cut into smaller chunks.

Two figures were fighting. Ignoring the chaos, ignoring the cries of the people nearby, ignoring the monsters from above and the blast of white light that almost destroyed this miniature garden – two men fought in wild abandon.

"Aha ha ha ha…! Maaaan, isn't this fun, _senpai…!?_ " A white-haired man laughed as he sliced apart the falling debris and walls that obstructed his way. "Killing each other should be like this! It's always fun when you can just do whatever you want without any restraint, right!?"

"Shut up! Shut your damn mouth and die already!"

The second man was like a giant. He extended his right arm forward as he yelled at his opponent. Metal protrusions erupted from the surface of his skin and they flew like missiles.

Freed Zelzan merely laughed. He stopped running, sliced apart the missiles that would hit him and let the others rain down on him. Explosions burst and scattered black smokes. Crimson flame blazed but amidst it all, the traitor and the hero seemed to disregard the blistering heat and smog created by their fight.

Heracles charged forward. He swung his fists while his enemy dodged them. However, his reach was greater and his Sacred Gear allowed him to attack with reckless abandon.

He roared as he struck the blade of the sword. Explosion consumed it and the sword shattered into pieces. Freed could only yelp as the second punch connected to his side and blasted him through five blocks.

Heracles felt the blow had connected. He felt the sensation of pulverizing flesh, bones, blood veins, and organs. Even so—

"What was that?" The Greek Champion wondered aloud. "He should have died after receiving a hit like that…"

…It didn't really matter, anyway. If the dung beetle hadn't died, then Heracles might as well go all-out and aim for overkill. George was a freak but at least his belief of 'there is no kill like overkill' held merit. The rebellious hero had survived this long because that was an absolute fact that still remained even after the destruction of the world.

Thus the man sprinted toward the place his enemy was at. The streets blurred past his vision, the blackened sky became a mere backdrop and the sounds of crackling fire were left behind. When he was fifty meters away—

"Hyahhaaaaaa!"

Freed suddenly descended from above with a new single-edged sword pointed downward. He was fast even for a cockroach – but he was too damn loud for his own good.

Heracles parried the sword by using his reactive armor-covered left arm and slammed the back of his right hand into the madman's right cheek. The sounds of creaking echoed through the ruined district after Heracles whipped his wrist and sent the fly smashing through a double-layered brick wall.

"Try again, you fucker!" Heracles shouted as he faced the irredeemable murderer. "Comet Detonation…!"

Three dozen missiles flew from his entire body. They all aimed true to their target and a beat later, the scenery before his eyes were consumed by a storm of light, fire, smokes, and shockwave.

All sound ceased to exist. Heracles could barely even hear the sound of his own beating heart as he looked at the result of his attack. He huffed as he felt his tremendous energy was expended away and he sank his shoulders to let out the strains burdening his body by regulating his breathing.

A few moments later, he saw wisps of light ascending to the sky.

He looked up at the dark sky was filled with rolling clouds. The grey clouds spread and filled the heavens while the cracks running through them began to fade away.

He saw the holes in the sky fading away. He felt the earth rumbling, and his ears picked up a bestial roar full of insanity.

 _"Got you—"_

It was then a thin metal pierced through his abdomen.

 _…Huh?_

Heracles widened his eyes. As blood covered the silvery white blade that had somehow emerged from his chest, he realized that he was stabbed in the back.

The man immediately rotated his body and responded by swinging his elbow behind him. The blow connected with the temple of the white-haired man and the psychopath in a priest's garb flew away like a thrown crumpled paper.

The Greek man was about to grasp his enemy when he fell to his knees. Something snapped at him, and he felt strength drained away from his body drastically.

 _What the hell,_ Heracles thought. _What – is this sword poisoned!?_

He saw the blade glistening with white light and crimson blood. However, his experienced eyes knew something was amiss, but what was? Of course, he would bleed if his body was stabbed through with a sword. Of course, blood would flow alongside excruciating pain.

 _But what if it's the blood that caused this all?_

"You…!" Heracles looked up and saw the staggering figure of Freed Zelzan. "This blood… is this cursed blood!? Where did you find it!?"

It was impossible. Mythical creatures with special properties in their blood were extremely few. Ever since the end of the Era of Christianity, the world had become too small and narrow for certain rare species to live freely, and so most of them had taken asylum under the protection of Arks. Of course, not all of them could be found in this destroyed world riddled with enclosed miniature gardens.

Pure-bred dragons, ancient Demons or Spirits, exotic monsters, Gods without lands or people and those who cared not for the conflict between humanity and the rampaging supernatural entities… they had all left Earth in favor of isolating themselves in the vast alternate realm that was the Underworld.

And so, special blood from unique races should have no longer existed besides the tribes of bloodsuckers scattered throughout Europe. Those that Heracles knew did not have the capability of nullifying Sacred Gears, and the only recorded existence capable of achieving such feat was—

"The Devil…?" Heracles grunted as he mustered the strength to stand up. "You… So your backer is the Old Satan Faction!"

"Correct…! You're absolutely correct, _senpai!_ In fact…!" Freed snickered as he pulled out another sword from within his robe. "The Lucifer himself gave me vials of his blood! Ah, but I heard that it's something drained from his son or grandson or something. Either way isn't it wonderful!? I can defeat _any_ Sacred Gear user as long as I infuse a drop of his disgusting blood in their body!"

The tip of the sword lowered and screeched along the street. Sparks scattered as the madman approached Heracles, and the sounds of footsteps grew louder. A step after another brought the red-eyed, white-haired murderer closer and closer to the spot of the toppled Champion.

Freed Zelzan smiled as he stopped in front of the downed Champion. "Now, how should I kill you, hm?"

He opened his mouth, rolled his tongue out – then suddenly his jaws were clicked shut by a full-power uppercut smashing his chin from below.

"RrraaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!"

Heracles saw his enemy flew to the sky like a piece of paper floating in the winds. Blood made an arc and scattered, but Heracles ignored all that in favor of grabbing the sword Freed had let go because of his unexpected attack.

He felt his strength rapidly drying. He felt something inside him creaking and twisting. As long as the sword embedded in his body was not pulled out, he might not survive and even if he did live through this, he would lose his Sacred Gear because of the property of the Son of the Morning Star's blood.

He had to stop moving. He mustn't let the poison spread any further.

However—

"Like hell, I'd care about something like that!" The Champion roared, lowered his hips and leaped to the sky. "So what if you have the Devils as your backers!? So what if you can nullify my Sacred Gear!"

He brought the silvery white sword far above his head. He saw the white-haired bastard widening his eyes, but even if he begged for mercy, it was already too late.

"Absolute strength…! Isn't achieved just because you won some lottery in life, you son of a bitch!"

The sword descended and bisected Freed Zelzan in two. Not even a whisper escaped the freak's mouth as the right and left halves of his body separated away.

In the end, Freed Zelzan fell to the ground like the sack of garbage that he was.

In the meanwhile, the Champion's consciousness dimmed. All sound was lost, all heat was lost, his limbs felt numb and he dropped down as the sword in his hands left and fell somewhere he didn't know.

 _Damn it,_ he thought. _Making a mess until the end… what are we supposed to do if even those annoying bats infiltrated the ranks?_

He would have to tell Cao Cao and George after this. If even he was assigned with a huge troublemaker like Freed, those busy with the management of their own Arks must be informed. Before it was too late, and before the damn purist Devils could destroy everyone's efforts…

"What—"

Then Heracles saw it. He saw the lit up sky squeezing out raindrops. He felt the rain washing over his body, and in the corner of his vision… the man witnessed a pillar of light piercing the heaven.

It was bright. It was magnificent. It was surrounded by flower petals as a roar echoed throughout the broken world that was this miniature garden. This Far Eastern Ark that housed precious lives, and the lives that continued to fight against the inevitable watched on as a figure of a dragon could be seen faintly inside that pure white light.

It was then he recalled faint memories. He recalled words, wisdom, and the face of that shitty old man as he looked at him in the eyes.

 _…Yeah,_ Heracles thought. _That's right… No wonder I felt like forgetting something…_

He really was a numbskull. He should have taught the stupid brat the basic first. He must have gone senile. After all…

 _Strength exists in various ways, damn brat—_


	71. Chapter 58 - Austerity

The first thing that she felt was the weight of her own body landing on a white, speckless floor.

Yuuna regained her footing and slowly opened her eyes, seeing a world devoid of colors. However, it wasn't dark. The light seemed to glare at her from every angle as she paced forward.

Pure white, pristine and spotless.

"This is…" The girl muttered as a small animal appeared out of thin air in front of her. "Errm… Baku…?"

The small anteater nodded down, its round eyes blinking a few times.

It had a mascot-like appearance and it floated in mid-air despite having no wings. Even if it looked like a baby anteater or tapir, that species could not reject the laws of gravity, so there was no way this small animal could possibly be a normal one.

Yes, it was a Fairy, just like those that Yuuna had seen before, but that should not have been possible.

Her Fairies were Gyuuki and Kasha alone. Without activating Mankai for the third time, it wasn't possible for her to gain a third Fairy. Baku was, in fact, someone else's Fairy.

"…That means…" Yuuna raised her right hand and took note of the white smartphone she had been holding for a while. "…The terminal worked like it was intended to."

She had been holding the device ever since she received it from Karin's older brother.

The device wasn't hers. It was a heavily modified blank terminal with a different system installed in it. Harunobu said that the device worked on a principle different from the one he was familiar with. It could be said to be an alternate version of the Hero System.

Yuuna couldn't wrap her head around the technicality, but at least she knew how to use it by jamming the terminal and activating it as close as possible to Issei. It turned out to be working so she supposed that it was alright in the end.

 _That means Senpai is now linked with the terminal but after that..._

"Since I'm still here holding this…" Yuuna glanced around. "Is this Senpai's…?"

She couldn't describe it well. Was this the content in his head? His mind? His soul…? Ugh, this is why she hated studying; everything became too difficult to under—

"Well, you can say that your soul and his are now directly connected, young lady."

 _Uh…?!_ The pink-haired girl immediately turned around and entered a combat stance, but soon she realized the speaker did not have a voice she was familiar with.

It felt… different, somehow. But why? How?

Seeking for an answer, Yuuna's eyes inspected the tall person that had somehow sneaked up behind her, she realized it was a woman with clear eyes and a soft smile. Her face was sharp and well-toned, while her blonde hair was long and wavy.

Even though there was no wind, it felt as if her hair wavered like a flame.

"W-Who are… you…?" Yuuna asked, not sure of what to do with the situation laid out in front of her.

The woman's smile stretched and she approached her. Yuuna hitched a breath but when she was about to say something more, the unknown woman suddenly embraced her tightly. She cast a gaze down on the young girl.

"How wonderful," the woman said with a joyous tone. "I didn't expect anyone to infiltrate the Sacred Gear's automated defense mechanism, but the item in your hand seems to be incorporated into something made by the Fallen Angels. I guess that old goat of a Governor has finally found a way to deal with Juggernaut Drive."

The woman nodded twice as if giving approval, but this caused Yuuna to be stunned still. Just what was this person talking about, and why was there _an extremely beautiful woman **inside** Issei's head?_

How was that possible anyway!?

"You seem to have many questions in mind." The woman beamed and patted Yuuna's head. "I'm Elsha, a past possessor of Boosted Gear. I guess you can say that I'm your idol's 'Senpai'. By the way, I'm a ghost."

 _What, seriously!?_

"Ah, how honest. And your reaction is quite refreshing. So different than Belzard…!" Elsha stepped back before she walked past Yuuna. "Come this way. Time's short. You wish to save your beloved one, right?"

"Eh?! A-Ah… Wait a moment!"

* * *

At some point, the world abruptly changed.

Both Yuuna and Elsha had been walking for a bit, then suddenly they somehow found themselves walking through a street next to an empty park in a blink of an eye.

It was a little dark. It felt as if the sun was about to set, but the fact that there was a celestial body around was strange, especially when the surroundings were nothing more than white expanse just a moment ago.

Baku continued to accompany her as the terminal in Yuuna's hand was still active, but she began to worry that something would happen. You couldn't let down your guard when you are in this sort of situation. Also…

"Err, Elsha…san? This place is…"

"A scene reconstructed from past memories," the past possessor of Boosted Gear readily answered from ahead of her. "This is one of the many places 'that boy' treasured the most in his life. Can you see silhouettes of two persons sitting on the bench over there? That's him and his 'teacher'."

Following after her words, Yuuna found a large shadow of a man and a child at the park. They were sitting on a bench and they looked to be talking to each other.

However, the silhouette of a man was oddly tall. Even if she had to stretch the local standard height for adult male, the man seemed to be a foreigner in a similar way to Elsha.

Meanwhile, the other silhouette was—

"Ise-senpai, and his 'teacher'?" Yuuna tilted her head. "…But our homeroom teacher is a woman."

"Yes. Well, that man is actually not a human but I doubt you know who he truly is." Elsha raised her left hand above her shoulder and waved only her index finger slightly. "Just think of him as someone who influenced your boyfriend in a great way. He was taught very early about the importance and risks of ideals because of him, after all."

Without waiting for the flustered Yuuna to recover, the woman continued on walking. The pink-haired Hero focused on the waves of golden hair, but the world abruptly changed once again.

It had a subtler impact. _Am I getting used to this…?_

A familiar corridor and a row of windows greeted her. Yuuna's eyes widened as she saw cherry blossom trees blooming outside the building, and amidst the scattering flower petals were people… students wandering around.

"Over here," the past possessor of Boosted Gear said while weaving through the students filing in and out of their classrooms. "Up ahead is where your precious one is at. Though saying that, you may not be able to escape once you decided to face it."

It? What's _it_? What was she going to face?

Yuuna passed by the familiar and unfamiliar faces. She caught sight of what seemed to be two siblings who possessed uncanny resemblance, a certain friend and a mirror image of herself. The fluctuating memories progressed as if she had returned back to the place she truly belonged in, but she became extremely aware of her presence.

 _This is the past,_ Yuuna told herself. _It's all just memories brought back to life._

Even so, it felt nostalgic. It felt warm, and it felt like it was threatening to spill out something deep inside of her. What was this feeling…?

 _...No, I can't let myself stop here._

Setting aside her issue, the girl rushed and followed after her guide. The two soon reached a door four rooms away from the end of the corridor, and she looked up, reading out 'Domestic Science Preparation Room'.

"This is… the room used for our club—"

"What lies beyond the door is an entirely different thing though," Elsha noted. "To increase your odds of survival, I'll tell you this: Juggernaut Drive activated because it's what he unconsciously desired."

The woman raised her left index finger.

"Speaking of his mental state, he's heavily traumatized at the moment. This is the basic reason why users of Boosted Gear went wild." Elsha waved her hand. "However, the boy initially wanted power. This makes it tricky as the wills behind Juggernaut Drive – phantoms of the past like me – possess deep attachment to that kind of feelings."

"…What, do you mean by that…?"

When Yuuna glanced from the side, she found Elsha sighing with a fragile smile.

"We all desired the power to overthrow absolute despair, a power that can never be put down like an unending flame," said she. "When failures led us to go berserk, the nature of the Sacred Gear caused Boosted Gear to create a feature that reflected the insanity and despair we felt."

That feature was Juggernaut Drive – the endless drive to destroy everything.

It was meant to reject the world. It was a method for rampant wishes to come to fruition even if it was at the cost of everything else. If the host of the cursed ability were lost, their attachment would be stored and then inherited by the next user; creating a spiraling whirlpool of madness.

Yuuna slowly understood what her friend suffered from. However, she could only open her lips while being unable to speak of any word. After several beats passed...

"Elsha-san, you…" Yuuna swallowed down. "You are what Ise-senpai might end up as… right?"

She was afraid of knowing the answer, but the woman nodded with a bright smile on her face.

It was strange. It was uncanny. Even so, it felt natural for the woman named Elsha to smile like that.

"The lingering thoughts represent a future where one failed on achieving their most cherished wish," the phantom replied. "Hundreds… nay, thousands of closed off futures reside in the Longinus attached to the boy. They're not supposed to appear this quickly, but the stress has built up rapidly in the last few months. The floodgate was forcibly opened with just a ripple and now he's being consumed just like our original selves."

 _But more importantly—_

"Above all else, you and the boy may end up just like us." Elsha craned her head up. "An ending where everyone's happiness requires a miracle to pull off. It's definitely not cheap. It takes an insane amount of time and efforts. It's extremely difficult to achieve, and once you failed… you don't get a second chance."

The world rumbled. The air shook and the sounds of cracked glass echoed in the distance.

Yuuna winced as sparks surrounded her.

The form of the dream-eater Fairy shimmered as if it was fading. She quickly realized that the effect of the terminal was reaching the limits.

Then suddenly, the door in front of the two opened and revealed a lightless abyss gazing at them. Yuuna shuddered, hearing a bestial roar coming from within the jet-black darkness. She thought she saw something undulating inside it, and terribly cold winds assailed her as if pushing her away.

However—

"Go," Elsha suddenly exclaimed. "Go and save him. Isn't it the duty of a hero to help those in trouble?"

Yuuna looked to the side and met a confident smile. There was no hesitation. She saw no doubt existing in Elsha's expression.

That was why Yuuna nodded. That was why the girl believed that no more word needed to be said – and she dashed toward the hollow world.

She jumped at the doorsteps. The heavy winds seemed to carry her away, but her body soon lost sensation over the solid grounds and began to fall, pulled by gravity.

"Don't forget this," Elsha's voice echoed from above. "The future may be hopeless. There might be no value at all in struggling. And your efforts may not be rewarded regardless of everything you've done. Despite all that…"

As the voice vanished, so did Yuuna's consciousness. Everything slowly but surely faded away. Color. Her body. The world that she knew of. Everything was swallowed up and cast into a cold, dark oblivion.

All that remained was…

 _…Even so, you have to—_

* * *

A ruined world was all that remained.

A sea of damaged buildings spread out as far the eyes could see. Signs of life no longer existed, and the city that had lost everything could only wither as time marched forward.

The winds blew past a farm surrounded by patches of trees. Nobody tended to it, and wild grass grew out of the earth where crops had failed to sprout on. Even if you have the tools necessary to tilt the land, the people that loved this land were no longer around.

A rough and cold wind blew past this abandoned city, and the landscape changed in a blink of an eye.

The blue sea surrounded a small island.

It was a place protected by white walls, a place called the land of the roots. It had a different scenery as the civilization had yet to decay, and there were clear signs of life. People lived in that place. Lives flourished and passed down from generation to generation without knowing the truth.

There, a boy stood on the Walls facing the sea and the island. His brown eyes reflected the dull grey sky, and as depressive thoughts crossed his mind, the boy exhaled.

"…What's the point of resisting the inevitable… huh?"

He felt something creeping up from behind him, but the boy merely glanced back.

His shadow was cast far back and yet something squirmed within it. A hideous thing was there, something dangerous and overpowering that even looking at it threatened to crush his soul.

The boy knew that he should have freaked out. Even so, he couldn't. He didn't want to break, so he endured and endured. Up until this point, he kept on defending himself, protecting what was left of himself that could still be called as 'Hyoudou Issei'.

However…

"No matter where I go, no matter what I do…" The boy inhaled. "I can't stop you. You're already in the middle of eating out my existence."

The proof was the shadow connected to him. His soul was linked directly with the Boosted Gear, so succeeding on running away from the Juggernaut Drive was an impossible dream. His path had been sealed ever since he was born with this Longinus.

How was he supposed to defeat an embodiment of despair, anyway? The maddened beast within the Sacred Gear couldn't understand words of reason anyway so talking through it was pointless, and trying to defeat it through a show of strength was madness.

"...Is it really hopeless, then…?"

He turned around and the squirming shadows shook as if delighted. A form emerged from within the darkness, and a humanoid armored dragon stood across of him like a parallel version of him, of Hyoudou Issei.

The boy took a deep breath.

"...So you want to finish the job, huh? You really do want to crush all that I've left." The boy narrowed his gaze and growled. "You want to devour me by beating me up personally… right?"

The monster hissed as it let loose white mist from its mouth. The form of the humanoid dragon was deformed, its limbs longer and thicker than they should be, and the skull was shaped in an angular way just like a serpent's.

The Juggernaut Drive took a step forward – then a line of black light ascended from behind it.

It flew to the sky like a pillar before expanding like an opened door. All that existed was twisted. Everything was distorted; even the fabric of reality and all was replaced with a world both the monstrous abomination and the boy knew way too well.

However, Issei did not close his eyes.

He watched on as reality transitioned and restructured itself. A land of roots spread out, a starless night sky expanded, but the boy simply walked forward and balled his hands tight.

As a hard wind carrying the flower petals blew past him – the boy moved.

He ran forward. He ran as fast as his body allowed him to. He raised a desperate battle cry, and he charged toward the enemy that wished to invalidate the meaning of his existence.

He swung his left fist forward – and empty darkness engulfed his vision.

"...Huh…?"

The world regained colors after five beats. Issei had no clue what just happened, but his blurry vision began to focus and he was met with the familiar and very colorful arches that stretched out far above him.

He was in the Jukai.

While he wasn't in the _real_ Jukai, it was still a perfect rendition that relied on his memories, feelings, and experiences to actualize itself. His mind had decided battle was inevitable and thus created a place in this mindscape of his that could allow him to go all-out without worrying about anything or anyone.

But… then, how was he here when he was on the Walls a few moments ago?

"...Ah," Issei muttered as a dreadful presence entered his detection range. "So that's it… I got blasted all the way here."

It was absurd. It was crazy. Even so, the truth was laid in front of him. The boy had no choice but to accept and get back up.

Even so – he couldn't feel the right half of his body.

"H-Huh…?"

He couldn't lift his arm. He couldn't feel his fingers. In fact, he couldn't feel anything from below his right collarbone down to his right hip. When he looked down, he realized what just happened.

 _Ah, so my right half got blown off too—_

When he closed and reopened his eyes, he caught a glimpse of the red armored figure. His ears picked up the sounds of clinking metal, and he realized that his end was approaching.

It was hopeless.

It was useless.

There was no way he could win.

"...Agh… grrh….!"

 _Wrong_. Get up. Get up. _Get up already, you idiot…!_

He couldn't let it end like this. He couldn't give up here. He still had something to do. He still had a lot of things he wanted to try.

He was… he was still alive, so… _As if I would stop moving forward!_

"AaaaAAAAAAAHHH!"

With all of his strength, the boy stood back up. Even as blood sprayed and his innards fell from the gaping maw that was the result of his blown off right half – the boy stood his ground and raised his left fist.

Yes. He had to fight. This place, this world, this entire reality he was in resided in the depths of his soul, it was as real despite being a mere imitation of everything that he knew. This world was like a lucid dream he could not wake up from.

But in that case, there was still something he could do. There was something someone like him could still do.

 _If this death match exists in my mind,_ the boy thought and concluded. _The only winner in this battle is the one with the stronger willpower!_

He ran in a straight line. Blood sprayed and pain escalated, but the boy gritted his teeth and imagined.

He visualized his body in perfect condition. Without any wound and without the disability, he imagined the right half of his body to still be there from the bottom of his heart.

"Kh…!?"

As flower petals danced, the boy blinked in surprise. He felt his right arm swinging, he felt his right elbow joint flexing, his wrist snapping, and his fingers moving. There was no need to take a second look as he confidently formed his fists and imagined another thing.

In the next moment, pieces of red armor fixated themselves on his body. A headgear covered his face, a coat fluttered behind him with twin boosters expanding from the back of his armor.

"Go!"

The armored boy flew toward the Juggernaut and hammered a left punch at its face.

 **"Ghgg…!?"** The beast staggered, but it immediately recovered and swung its right fist. **"Grraaah!"**

The blow landed deep in Issei's gut. His body bent as his consciousness blacked out for a moment, and searing pain spread across his body as he was thrown to a vine.

A great crash shook the Jukai.

Clouds of dirt rolled as the broken vine groaned while it crumbled away. Debris scattered, pieces of stones and leaves showered down in a symphony of destruction.

The Juggernaut growled but suddenly a green light pierced through the ruins and struck it. An explosion erupted across the vine the red beast was on, and an anguished howl reverberated through the starless sky.

However, the roar did not come from one individual.

A boy in red armor flew out of the crumbling vine with a roar. His voice shook the air, the light embracing his body while erasing anything that wished to touch him, and his back let loose gleaming blue streams of light as he accelerated.

At the same time, a red beast emerged from the clouds of black smokes. Embers danced around its regenerating body. Its draconic characteristics were exposed through the shattered armor plates, reveal jagged red scales underneath, and six wings spread out from behind the dragon's back.

The rampaging dragon who embodied broken dreams howled as it flew toward its last obstacle.

The boy who wished to protect all that was important to him howled as he charged toward his greatest enemy.

The two swung their fists and struck each other. The dragon struck and pulverized the boy's gut, while the boy struck and blew off the dragon's right shoulder.

With an explosive sound, the two blows produced shockwave and water vapor that scattered blood throughout the forest of roots.

The clashing elements sent the two fighters flying off in random directions. They crashed through vines and tore through the Jukai, spreading destruction as far as the ear-tearing sounds could reach. However, the two recovered and resumed their conflict.

In an endless exchange of attacks, the two individuals drowned themselves in bloodlust.

They punched, kicked, grappled and used everything they could think of to defeat their enemy. The dragon used its claws and fangs to tear apart the boy's limbs, but the boy countered by piercing through the dragon's body with blasts of light and multiple enhanced attacks.

Again and again and again. As the sounds of destruction and regeneration echoed, the Jukai cried out as ruination spread far and wide.

 _How long will this go on?_

The boy didn't know. He fought and fought and fought. It felt as if there was no end and he couldn't keep track on the amount of damage he had dealt or even accumulated.

 _It doesn't matter,_ the boy thought. _I have to defeat this bastard, I have to win and surpass it._

He had to. He must be able to at least do that. He was the one who let his own weakness overcame himself, so winning this battle was his duty as the fool that believed that giving up was an option.

 _…I can't fall here…!_

The sound of destruction continued to reverberate. It shook the heavens and ruined the earth. It went on and on, never ceasing for even a moment and waiting for none.

However – there was a limit to everything.

The dragon lunged and pierced through the boy's chest and back. Blood sprayed as his heart burst, and the squelching noise was accompanied by the deep growl of his enemy.

Light suddenly appeared from behind the dragon's back. Two limbs erupted out and gripped Issei's shoulders. Before he knew it he was restrained in place and the dragon's armors opened up at the torso – revealing the muzzle of a cannon that emanated crimson light from within it.

 _"Wh—!?"_

Light consumed the world, and everything ceased to exist momentarily.

When he became aware of what was going on, he was staring at the starless sky covered with dry and wilting branches. He became aware of how to breathe after he saw the world, he sensed his own weight before feeling the touches of the cold, hard grounds, and he smelled a sharp scent akin to rust with his nose.

The sounds of blowing winds, meaning his hearing, was the last thing he recovered. Issei looked down and found that there was nothing below his abdomen.

 _…Ah, so I got hit…_

His mind had received too much stress, muddling his thoughts to the point that he couldn't even panic.

 _…This is… bad…_

He had to heal himself. He had to hurry. _Hurry, hurry—_

 **"Grrh…!"**

But he saw it. He couldn't tear his eyes away from it. The dragon looming ahead of him stood with white steam leaking out from every crevice of its scales.

The dragon growled as its blood red eyes narrowed. It did not have a human face, so Issei couldn't imagine what kind of thought it had.

Even so, the way the rows of fangs lined together made it as if the dragon was overjoyed. It was delighted, and so it growled as if wishing to finish its job.

The armor plates and scales covering its chest slid open, revealing the cannon muzzle that had launched the beam capable of erasing the world.

Issei realized he couldn't make it in time. He couldn't. His arms were gone and his legs had been completely vaporized. The attack the dragon had used for some reasons prevented him from regenerating, and now all he could do was wait for the ending to arrive.

It was hard to speak. It was hard to move. It was hard to hear or even think of anything. Was this what _that girl_ felt? Being isolated from the world and being unable to lift even a finger?

 _…Damn, it…_

He was an idiot. He only understood the pain of others when everything was about to end.

 _Damn it…!_

As the all-erasing light gathered in front of him, the boy could only stare with warm liquid spilling out from his eyes.

 _Damn it all…!_

 **[Longinus Smasher!]**

As the world was enveloped in the blinding light of the destroyer-– a figure descended right before his eyes.

"Hero Club's Five Tenets…!"

Flower petals scattered. The back of what seemed to be a girl shrunk as a stream of pink hair danced in the roaring winds. Her steps knew no hesitation, and she swung her right fist forward as the bright light cast a long and thin shadow far behind her.

The boy's eyes widened. He forgot to breathe, and a name crossed his mind. A familiar name. A familiar face. A familiar face and voice.

A familiar scent of flower that brought infinite warmth to his heart reached out and as the girl charged forward—

"You're likely to succeed…!" Clad in a light that transformed her combat outfits into a white kimono, the pink-haired Hero yelled out. "If you try!"

A steel halo surrounded the girl, and a colossal mechanical arm flew forward – delivering a strike that split apart the Juggernaut's light.

The roaring destruction was divided down the center, the violent winds blowing and scattering pink flower petals throughout the Jukai. The girl before the boy's eyes stood with her right fist extended forward, and the mechanical arm beside her floated as if acting like an indomitable wall.

Once the light faded—

"I'm sorry, I was late…"

The girl breathed out and swung her right arm to the side. The gigantic mechanical arm followed suit and as she raised a fighting stance, the divine armament mimicked the movement of her arms with absolute precision.

With one foot ahead of the other, the girl pronounced her intention.

"Hero, Yuuki Yuuna – makes her stand here!"


	72. Chapter 59 - Reason

The Juggernaut flew.

It was fast. Exceedingly fast. The dragon blurred and suddenly appeared right in front of Yuuna like a ghost. It whipped its right set of claws at her.

A normal human would not be able to respond – but the Hero blocked the being's attack with a left punch.

Solid sounds exploded. Rings of shockwave spread wide and far with the two fighters at the epicenter.

The violent winds produced by the rings of shockwave tore through the Jukai. They shook the branches hanging far above Issei, and he thought he would be crushed. It was his honest opinion after what had just happened, but ignoring him, the Juggernaut roared and swung down its left claws as well.

Yuuna once again blocked the attack without fail. In fact, her punch cracked the dragon's claws.

"Here I go!"

The girl dug her heel into the ground as if creating a foundation. Her gaze was aimed straight ahead, and her divine armament moved in two directions as if following her will.

They moved at such a speed that not even Issei could track their forms properly.

Even so, the beast spread its wings and grew another extra limb out of its back. The dragon swung the two limbs sprouting from its back and successfully stopped Yuuna's divine armament.

"Khg…!?"

It was simple. Just like that, the dragon denied Yuuna the use of her greatest weapon and advantage.

As if knowing that, the monster growled. Delight glowed fiercely inside its blood red eyes. White mist spread from its fanged jaws and the twin pools of red narrowed—

 **"GrrraaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!"**

A cry of million voices resounded.

The Juggernaut's armors moved and revealed its cannon barrels once again. They aimed at the single target and unleashed rays of light from point-blank range.

"Yuuna-chan—!"

The boy's cry was silenced by roaring curtains of light. He couldn't see anything. He couldn't hear anything. He couldn't feel anything besides the screeching and scraping sounds that originated from the light.

When the light level finally returned to normal, there was nothing left.

"…Huh…?"

Nothing. There was nothing. Not Yuuna, or even the Juggernaut. All Issei could identify was the newest scars that ruined the Jukai, but the ones, directly and indirectly, responsible for them had vanished at some point.

Then sounds of colliding metals spread from above.

He looked up and saw two individuals appearing and vanishing in the jet-black sky. From one place to another, a Hero and a monster fought.

They pierced the winds and delivered blows as fast as lightning. They searched for their respective enemy's weaknesses and aimed for hits that could deal the most damage.

Amidst the storms of attacks, the cacophony of noise roared. Endless. Unending. Never ceasing. And then…

 _"Hey. Heeeeyyy…! Anyone there?"_

Suddenly hearing what could only be described as an old man's voice, Issei's head snapped to the left and saw a white plastic case lying on the ground. It was… a smartphone?

 _"If it's already too late, then I'm hanging up,"_ the voice from the phone said. _"You don't care whatever happens to you next, right?"_

…For some reasons, Issei had an intense desire to punch someone. He imagined the face of an old man speaking out loud as if it was nobody's business, and indeed he found him very punchable.

Still, for the time being, Issei supposed he could respond. He had to focus on regenerating himself but it had been a very slow process. _I can take my eyes off the battle for now… right?_

He looked up momentarily. Yuuna was going all-out, and she might be far too focused on fighting that she probably wouldn't expect any help.

Issei decided that he could take a break as long as Yuuna was there.

"Wait a bit," Issei muttered out. "Let me fix myself first."

The moment his left arm was fully regenerated, Issei reached out and pulled the smartphone in close to his face. _Huh, the call function must have been triggered when the phone got dropped… it is connected to a hidden number._

Regardless… he had something to say.

"Who are you? And what do you mean by that, huh?"

 _"Wow, I didn't expect someone to actually answer!"_

The voice was annoyingly carefree. It totally didn't match the atmosphere in this Dreamscape, but Issei felt like he had heard a voice like this somewhere before… How?

"...Forget that. I ask again," the boy took a breath in. "What was that? Are you mocking me? Who the hell are you, anyway?"

The phone caller responded with a short and very outdated laughter. It really sounded like one an old geezer would show, laughing like an idiot while getting drunk at a relative's wedding party.

 _"Well, it's been a very long time so I doubt you remember me,"_ the caller said. _"More importantly, Hyoudou Issei, you're still there, right?"_

Issei waited for several moments to answer because he couldn't come up with a proper response.

The caller knew his condition. The way he phrased it seemed frivolous, but Issei could tell the timing was way too precise to be considered as a coincidence. _I… guess this might have something to do with Yuuna-chan being here too, so…_

"…I'm trying to heal myself after three-quarters of my body got blown off," Issei replied. "It's been really slow. I think a huge chunk of my existence has been eaten by the Juggernaut Drive."

And wasn't that the truth?

At least it would explain why he couldn't instantly recreate his body. The wounds he took were so severe that he momentarily blacked out from shock.

Using that chance, the Juggernaut Drive wormed past his mental defense and snatched a huge chunk of his soul as well as life force. That must have been what had happened.

Now, how the hell was he supposed to win?

 _"Sounds rough, but at least you're still there."_ The mysterious caller paused as if considering what to say next. _"Oh, yeah. Don't worry, you can take back what you lost. Then again, anyone can do that much in this kind of era where almost nothing makes sense anymore."_

Issei perked his chin up after hearing that. The relief and hope he felt died down a little because of the unnecessary tidbits he had just heard, but at least…

At least there was still some hope in this hopeless situation.

"What should I do?" Issei asked.

He heard a few chuckles before a proper answer arrived.

 _"Cutting straight to the chase, huh? Not gonna lie, you do need to be at least_ that _decisive at this point."_

The boy snorted. Of course, he had to be decisive.

He wasn't in the mood for playing around. Hell, he really missed the quiet daily life where he could leisurely play porn games after school and club activity was over. If he could go back to that life even a second faster, he'd welcome even _that_ cat's help.

 _Now that I think about it,_ Issei tilted his head as memories resurfaced. _I haven't seen that black cat for a while… did someone finally pick her up?_

If so, he felt sorry. For the person who picked up that overly territorial stray cat, that is. However, his thoughts were soon cut off.

 _"Let me explain a bit about what you can do,"_ the mysterious caller started. _"First, the device you're holding is a control chip. In reality, you're still frozen in time, contained in a Sealing Pillar to prevent your real body from wrecking everything better than the Vertexes."_

Issei winced at the dreaded fact he hoped wasn't true. However, since he didn't visibly respond, the nameless helper continued speaking.

 _"Now then."_ A sound of inhalation could be heard from the phone. _"Can you see the embodiment of lingering thoughts?"_

Issei looked up. He glimpsed the figure of the red humanoid dragon he loathed and feared so much.

"Yeah. And?"

 _"What form is it taking right now?"_

Frowning, the boy wasn't sure what the point of the lead-up question was. After all, the Juggernaut did not change form until now. It grew two extra arms, but that was it. That was all there was to it.

Issei told as much to the person on the other side of the phone and for some reasons, a string of curse could faintly be heard.

"…Uh? Wh-What is it?" Issei asked. "Why would that matter?"

 _"Because it complicates things and narrows the options down to just two,"_ the invisible and unreachable helper replied. _"Do you know why the Juggernaut Drive easily took control of your body?"_

What…? What did that have to do with—

 _"It's not only_ you _that troublesome bug-of-a-bug has taken over,"_ the caller sighed. _"It has already devoured your partner, Ddraig."_

* * *

Wisps of light emerged from the ground and ascended to the sky.

Using the Hero System as an intermediary tool, enough power was regained and it helped to prolong the existence of the barrier. Still, it was just a patchwork solution and it barely made it in time.

A man sighed as he watched the world slowly but surely being revived.

"Listen," he said. "You now have two ways to save yourself. It's your call if you want to or not. I'm just giving you the lifeline."

He adjusted his breaths because he had to brace himself. He hated doing this, giving out choices only few could answer while retaining some semblances of their hearts.

Even so, he had to. Not only because it was necessary. He wanted to make sure that he could do something right for once. So…

"...The Juggernaut Drive should have gotten you in the first second it was activated."

But it didn't. The boy was alive, his sanity was intact for a short while, and only after he reached his furthest limits did he get himself devoured by it.

 _That's not supposed to be possible without the right conditions—_

A normal human without an ounce of talent could never hope to match the bottomless resentment the Juggernaut Drive contained. Something must have protected the boy from being consumed, but nobody except the host could save their selves.

Then – it was easy to know how Hyoudou Issei had lasted until now.

"You were lucky," Azazel said while closing his eyes. "If the Heavenly Dragon protected you until it got consumed by the Juggernaut Drive, that means you have forged a very strong bond with him."

A dragon was a prideful creature. To selflessly throw their life away for someone else was utterly unthinkable, much less acceptable even with a good reason behind it.

However, the Welsh Dragon Ddraig used himself as a wall to protect his host. If that was not a proof of their strong bonds, then what act could truly define a close relationship?

"Overcome the avatar of the Juggernaut Drive," Azazel said. "That's your first option. You will have to prove that your will is absolutely indestructible, even after knowing the reason that fueled that monster to move."

However, that would be impossible.

The boy was consumed because he saw what he should not have. He had seen the past, realized that his future could end in a similar way, and broke down because he was extremely aware of his own limits.

Time. Willpower. Strength. Talent. Energy. Total control over his own body.

The boy did not have any of those crucial advantages at the moment. The only way left was—

 _"I reject any plans that require me killing Ddraig."_

With one sentence, the sound around the man suddenly stilled as if everything in the world was put on pause. Did he mistake what he had heard? No, he couldn't, but that meant…

Did the boy just burn the lifeline offered to him?

 _"I don't care even if the chance is zero,"_ as if ignoring him, the boy continued on in a flat voice. _"No one is going to be lost under my watch. Not again. I won't let that happen again."_

As he ignored the situation threatening to send him into oblivion, the boy took a deep breath and demanded.

 _"You must have come up with more solutions,"_ Hyoudou Issei paused. _"Tell me every single one of them, no matter how impossible they sound. I'll try all of them, and I'll save both myself and my partner."_

* * *

Yuuna felt a wave of changes washing over the strange world her soul had dived into.

She saw memories. She heard voices and sounds. She touched the past of the boy and became aware of the burdens he had carried all by himself.

The crystallization of that burden was the monster standing before her eyes.

"...You have already lost everything."

The dragon bathed in blood red light roared. It leaped at her with claws desiring to crush her neck, but Yuuna lowered her hips to dodge them and struck the dragon in the stomach with an uppercut.

The monster flew to the sky like a red rocket. Yuuna immediately followed by pulling her right arm in, the mechanical divine armament faithfully following her movement.

"But…!" The girl swung her right fist forward. "This isn't the right way to clear out your regrets!"

The divine weapon flew and struck the dragon head-on. Yuuna felt solid resistance, and she heard the sounds of broken metals that resembled shattered glass.

"Uoooooooohhh!"

The girl pressed on by launching a storm of attacks. It was a barrage of high-speed punches.

The divine armament blasted rings of water vapor behind them. Coated with shockwave and unrivaled strength, every connecting hit produced great explosions that scattered throughout the sky.

However, the solid resistance Yuuna felt told her a very important fact.

It was saying that her foe could continue on fighting. As seconds went by, the resistance grew and when she realized it, she was striking at a wall of red light.

 **"Gah…! GraaaaaaAAAAAAHHH….!"**

The crazed beast had crossed its arms in front of its body to prevent fatal injury from forming. In front of it, the aura it had emitted formed a wall of near transparent light that successively blocked Yuuna's divine weapon.

Seeing that, the girl immediately switched her tactic.

She first grabbed at the wall of light with her divine armament. Sparks raced and she felt her right hand burning. It was malice. The aura the dragon produced was one filled with malice and rejection at everything.

 _In that case…!_

Wasting not even a second, Yuuna firmly gripped onto the wall of light and jumped over it. Her body traced a parabolic line but before she could complete it, the girl kicked the air and flew down vertically.

"Hero…!" The pink-haired girl pulled right her arm in and swung down her fist. "Puuuuuuunncch!"

The attack hit the dragon.

She heard sounds of broken metal, signifying the destruction of the dragon's armors and scales.

She listened and observed. She watched on as the divine armament shaped like giant mechanical arms broke through the defensive aura.

She could do it. She had aimed at the parts with the least aura density and felt the feedback of crushing flesh and bones.

But the dragon met her eyes.

It noticed her. It realized her tactic and responded accordingly. The left half of the beast's body was pulverized by Yuuna's attack, but the right half was not.

As blood sprayed alongside broken scales, the uninjured dragon head looked up with an unreadable expression.

It then opened its mouth and revealed something Yuuna did not expect.

"A cannon…!?"

A black cannon barrel extended out from the dragon's mouth. It expanded in size, filled its throat and rose like an ascending tower. The muzzle reached out to the heaven in a split second and stopped extending when it was one millimeter away from Yuuna's chest.

Faster than she could gather her thoughts, a great roar was unleashed alongside a pillar of red light.

* * *

The sky cracked.

When the crimson tower ascended, the sky shattered into a million pieces. Just like before, memories ruled over this artificial realm. Drawing out the past, the present shifted and altered itself.

The time had arrived for the world to change once more.

Buildings rose and fell. Streets and power lines spread out while the Jukai remained intact. Before a minute had passed, the landscape had changed into a ruined civilization bound by a forest of roots.

Within that dystopia, a figure descended from the vermillion sky.

Her long pink hair fluttered freely after losing the ribbon that tied it in place. If one were to squint, they could see wounds engraved on the girl's body.

Scrapes. Bruises. Cuts. All sorts of wounds marred her beauty that it was painful to look at.

Even so – the girl who seemed to be unaware of her condition reopened her bright red eyes.

 _...I can't… breathe._

Did her ribs cave in after she received that attack? She had tried to avoid the fatal strike by shifting her body to the side, but the blast must have struck a large portion of her body. She had blundered.

 _I can't feel my heart beating…_

Why was that? Had she finally died? If that was true, why would she still feel pain? Why was her heart aching? Even though her heart had stopped beating… why was she still able to hold onto her feelings?

 _...Ah, so I lost my heart._

She began to understand. The offering she had made was accepted. She had used Mankai for the third time and Sange decided that her heart was a suitable sacrifice.

With this, Yuuki Yuuna had died as a mortal and was reborn as a pseudo-deity.

 _So this is,_ the girl thought. _This is what Sonoko-chan felt…_

No wonder. Her chest was empty as if a hole had opened wide and consumed her heart. There was an immense sense of loss as if she was incomplete, and yet she was instinctively aware that there was nothing to counter that feeling.

 _...But I'm still… here._

Yes… She was still here. She was still in the place where she could do something. For her – for Yuuki Yuuna – that was all that mattered. Because of that...

 _I can't give up here—_

She would not give up. She would not admit defeat and step back after all that she had done. If she was to lose here…

If she gave up here, then there would be no meaning to her sacrifices at all.

 _...Move._

Her arms twitched, and sensation returned to her legs. Even so, Yuuna couldn't muster enough strength to freely control her body.

The injury she had received was so severe that not even the Hero System could protect her completely. How could that be?

 _...Because the Longinus can surpass even Gods._

Yuuna concluded that might be the reason why she was hurting. The slayer of the divine. The god-killer. The Longinus possessed by her friend was such a terribly powerful weapon that it could overpower both Vertexes and Heroes, but it had gone out of control and desired to reject everything that existed.

The once-holy lance was cursed. It's now just a demonic weapon intent on destroying the world. It was a tool that stopped being a tool of its own volition.

 _...As if… I can allow such thing!_

"Mankai…!"

Once she raised her right arm, flower petals scattered. Yuuna felt something was torn apart from her, and suddenly she had lost all feelings over her legs.

In return, power swelled up and gained form. The divine armament – the twin mechanical arms holding immense destructive power were summoned into existence, and Yuuna stopped her descent with a little show of willpower.

She floated in the sky dyed by twilight.

She looked up as a dragon descended with its jaws opened wide.

She met the monster's eyes head-on and braced herself.

There was a clash.

"Khg…!"

The mechanical arms flew and struck four sets of claws. The claws pressed down and dug into the divine armament, damaging them with unimaginable sharpness and brute force.

Yuuna held herself back from crying. It hurts. The damage traveled and returned as a violent feedback. Even though she wasn't physically injured, the wounds her divine armament received transferred as phantom pains.

That was why it hurt so much for Yuuna.

 _He had been fighting… against this sort of pain._

It was unbelievable. It was insane. It was way too much to understand.

The question 'why' crossed her mind, but Yuuna knew that the boy wouldn't stop even if there was no reason backing him at all. That was the sort of person the boy she admired was.

 _But… I have to stop admiring him._

She had to because she realized that she knew so little about her friend. She must because she needed to meet him in the eyes and truly come to an understanding with him.

So she pushed forward. Yuuna growled as the mechanical arms trembled and let out sparks, and then she chose to do what she wasn't supposed to do.

With a sound akin to a chime, the ring attached to her back was purged and Yuuna released herself from being linked to her divine armament.

She stumbled forward at first. She couldn't hope to use her legs, but the overflowing divinity she had allowed her to bend conventional rules and bestowed herself with the ability to fly.

The girl soared and struck the armored dragon.

 **"Gbh…!?"**

The first blow landed on the place between the collarbones. The dragon spat out air and Yuuna followed up by striking the chin from the left side.

It was like punching a boulder. The girl could feel her arms shaking, and she honestly thought that her knuckles would shatter if she continued like this.

But Yuuna decided that no longer mattered.

"UuuoooooOOOOOHHHH!"

Attack. Attack. _Attack._

Yuuna's arms blurred as she launched a storm of punches. Tearing the air apart, her fists flew and produced booming sounds akin to explosions.

That storm of explosions rained at the Juggernaut. They peppered it and consumed it, overwhelming its defense with insane speed that not even its hyper regeneration could keep up.

At one point, Yuuna opened her left hand and grasped the dragon's armor which covered its torso. She pulled the monster in as she turned around – and she threw the beast to the earth with a judo throw.

 **"...!?"**

The beast let out a wordless roar. It fell and crashed into the town warped by the Sea of Trees.

The earth rose and debris flew. Winds blew as Yuuna descended, the divine armament reattaching itself starting with the steel ring on her back.

The Hero shot down into the land of roots as a streak of light.

She surpassed the winds and approached the realm of light with one step. Her strength had doubled… no, quintupled ever since she called out for the fourth release of her divinity, and the movement in the world seemed to crawl in her eyes.

 _This is…_

As she wondered in her mind, the girl breached the limits of physical laws.

She arrived right as the dragon flew out of the ruins. The timing coincided but it was probably unplanned. Yuuna could never come to understand the thoughts of a being embodying the despair of millions even if she abandoned her humanity.

 _So I'll fight._

She would fight, and that was all she did.

 _But—_

"Why?"

As the two clashed, the girl couldn't help but let out her voice.

"Why are you doing this!?"

As the world dyed in twilight welcomed the embrace of the night, the girl shouted out.

"Why do you keep on fighting!?"

Yuuna knew that there would be no answer. Of course, nothing would answer her. Her enemy wasn't something that could leisurely reply with words when all it did was thrash around like a rampaging wounded beast.

However—

 **"'I want to save you.'"**

A million voices echoed and silence the girl's thoughts.

She looked up in surprise as the dragon flew back. It traced an arc, accelerated, and executed a U-turn with the intention to launch a mighty blow.

 **"We hate it. We hate this world that smears on our loved ones' sacrifices."**

Words that sounded like a chant resounded.

" **We hate it. We hate those who took the happiness of our loved ones away."**

Chants that resembled curses and lamentation filled the sky.

 **"We hate it. Why is everything slipping away from our hands?"**

The dragon roared. It roared in anger, in sorrow, in envy, and in disappointment.

It roared as it approached Yuuna, and even with her vision, she was not fast enough to dodge the strike aimed at her heart. However...

 **"If only we had the power. If only the power we have was enough…"**

Yuuna parried it with her divine armament and countered. She struck the dragon and bent its body, but the beast flapped its wings and forcefully reduced the damaged by pulling itself out of Yuuna's range.

The dragon breathed out. Its movement suddenly stopped and Yuuna used the chance to deliver a right punch.

 **"We would not have sought for the world's destruction. We would not have chosen to reject the world."**

The dragon tilted its body to the side and avoided her attack. At the same time, the stretched out arm flew and the world blurred.

 **[BOOST!]**

Before she could comprehend it, Yuuna was swept up by her own weight.

Her eyes widened. Her mind could not comprehend it. Because of the Hero System, she was fully aware of what her current strength allowed her to do.

That was why – judging by her last attack, there was no way she could have flown so far from the predicted path.

 _What was that?_ the girl asked. _What was that feeling!?_

When she turned around, she realized that she was afloat far away from Shikoku and her enemy. If she was a normal human, she could only identify the Juggernaut as a small red dot, but that also meant that she had _somehow_ veered off in an extremely unlikely manner.

 _The distance…_ _Did it_ distort space _to extend our proximities against each other!?_

Before she could process the feat the dragon had accomplished, a red star shone with the sunset as its backdrop.

 **"GrrrraaaaaAAAAAAAHHHH!"**

Myriads of arrows of light flew and filled the sky. They all scattered, covered the world, and destroyed the constructed realm.

There was no escape. There was no mercy. As that realization dawned, Yuuna shielded herself with her divine armament. She made it in time—

 **[PENETRATE!]**

With a shattering noise, the winds trembled as they died down. The crumbling world screamed and Yuuna's divine weapons burst as crimson light erupted from the cracks running all over them.

 **"What is your reason to oppose our hope?"**

 _Ah—_

 **"Where does your 'justice' lie!?"**

Under the dusk sky, sounds of destruction rumbled and crimson rained down.


	73. Chapter 60 - Scales and Flower Petals

'He' had won.

His last attack destroyed the world and brought forth an imperishable night. He had overcome the last challenge and ended the long struggle to possess his current vessel.

Or so it should have gone by.

The first that he saw was a red figure floating right across of him. It was shaped like a human, but it had a very bulky upper body and abnormally long limbs. The bulk of the armor plates were shaped like scales and they all gleamed in pure red, while the green jewels embedded in various parts of the scale mail emitted a dim emerald glow.

 _It's him—_

It was him. It was the boy he had almost defeated. He had already consumed most of his existence, so it was only a matter of time before Hyoudou Issei vanished completely. Even so, the boy had somehow regenerated himself and flew all the way here.

The question 'For what reason?' appeared as fast as it was answered. With a little thought, the embodiment of lingering thoughts understood and spoke out the boy's intention.

 **"To the very end, you wish to protect your loved ones."**

Scales crumbled. The broken armor revealed a bloodied human boy. He was far from being able to be called as an adult, and childishness was still apparent on his face. However…

 _Those eyes of his,_ the avatar of the Juggernaut Drive thought. _Bright and stinging, just like the sunlight._

Yes. Such a dazzling light. Those eyes were things the destroyer knew all too well. They knew how much power that sort of gaze could possess, but… _It's already too late._

"Ise…senpai…?"

Behind the armor-covered boy was a girl. Her long pink hair fluttered in the dry winds, and red liquid ran down a messy line from above her right temple down to her cheek.

What her eyes reflected was a gaping cavity.

A hole had pierced through the boy's body. Numerous holes were engraved and burned through his flesh that he looked like a slice of human Swiss cheese. Blood did not flow because the wounds had been cauterized by the arrows of light, and now…

 _That's no different from a corpse._

The boy's wings stopped moving. The thrusters on his back stopped letting out their jets. The boy swayed and began to fall – yet he didn't.

The girl behind him reached out. She grasped his body to stop him from falling, but strength suddenly left her and her white dress dissolved into motes of light.

The question 'Why?' must have crossed her mind. The girl looked at the destroyer as if seeking an answer, but soon she realized the truth as both she and her protector fell to the earth.

 _It's no use either way._

After all… not even gods could defend themselves against the Heavenly Dragon's god-slaying ability.

* * *

The sky was growing distant.

As winds buffeted her body, Yuuna could only see the starless heavens expanding before her eyes. She saw deep red pearls shining from the light of the sinking sun, but even that scenery was fading away into the pure darkness.

 _…I lost…_

No, that was wrong. _They_ had lost. But why would that matter, anyway?

 _Ise… senpai…_

The boy she held in her arms did not move. There was no light in his brown eyes, and Yuuna could not feel his heartbeat.

 _Of course, I can't feel anything,_ the girl thought as if scolding herself. _Both of our hearts were erased by those arrows…_

Yuuna wondered why she was chiding herself. Was that because she couldn't forgive herself for making another mistake? Was that because she had failed to succeed just like the past possessors of Boosted Gear did?

"…I'm…"

It was no good. Her consciousness was disappearing.

To begin with, her existence was an anomaly in this realm. She had lasted this long because the blank terminal from before had protected her. She had tried to finish the fight before she could be forcefully ejected from this constructed realm, but it turned out the Juggernaut Drive was capable of harming and destroying even an immortal's soul.

 _…I was… thoroughly beaten…_

The ground was approaching. Would her Fairy blessings protect her? What about Issei? Would her broken divinity protect him as well?

 _...Are we going to die?_

"…No…"

She didn't want that. She truly didn't want that. Why was she unable to do anything? What was she supposed to do?

The girl didn't want to give up.

The girl had promised to never give up.

The girl wanted to make sure that her words would not turn out to be lies.

Before she knew it, her vision blurred. Her cheeks felt hot and wet. As she fell through the fabricated Jukai, the girl caught a glimpse of crystal droplets floating and realized that she was crying.

With those tears, words entered her mind and escaped from her lips.

"…I'm sorry…"

As the last ounce of strength vanished from her body, Yuuna closed her eyes and embraced the darkness.

There was nothing left beside the sound of flesh striking the solid surface.

* * *

The sky was dark.

There was nothing else. The night was the eternal ruler of this constructed realm, and the only source of light came from the divine tree that continued to wither as time marched on.

A sound of footsteps approached. Shadow retreated and showed a familiar face looked down while raising her right hand in greeting.

"Hey," the girl said. "You sure did something reckless."

There was no response. That made the girl clad in red smile bitterly, but her expression seemed to say 'you really are hopeless'.

Maybe she was right. Maybe the girl was right. After all—

"I can't believe you actually threw away your own life to have your wish granted." A sound of deep exasperation was heard coming from the girl. "It's true that with all but a single piece of your existence absorbed by the Juggernaut Drive, you'd be no different than a dead man walking."

The girl paused, muttering 'Should I have called it a ghost at the border between existence and the void?' as if asking herself. She soon shook her head and waved her hand.

"Well, forget that. You've decided, after all, so no one can't complain," the girl said and formed a faint smile. "Want some help?"

A hand was extended and a response arrived. Silently, slowly, but surely… his hand reached out and grasped hers.

The girl pulled him up while saying 'Yotto' and stood right in front of him. The brown-haired girl looked up as she smiled.

"Atta boy. I knew you could do it," said she. "But still, now that you're on 'this side', what are you going to do next?"

Her gaze traveled and the world moved.

Though saying that, it was correct to say _his_ vision followed her. He was met with the image of a flowing river with an old tree standing beyond it.

"If you go back, you'll have to take care not to lose so badly again," the girl's voice echoed. "I mean, you're lucky enough to reach this place without getting kicked off the boat. I heard you caused a huge mess by groping the rower too."

A laughter was heard. A snort was heard. It was as if someone was having fun by laughing at the misfortune of others, but it wasn't like there was anything wrong with it.

After all, the girl was having so much fun right now. What was wrong with that?

"Oh, look." The brunette widened her eyes and pointed at the land beyond the river. "They're waiting for you."

His gaze obeyed her guide. His vision traveled and what was reflected in his eyes was a simple scenery.

Beneath the old tree were six flowers.

A red Azalea, a blue Morning Glory, a yellow Cinquefoil, a green Solomon's Seal, a purple Water Lily… and last but not least, a cherry blossom that flourished from the tallest branch of the old tree.

 _...Ah,_ he thought out loud as he heard their voices and feelings. _That's right, I—_

"You're living a fulfilling life." The girl in red placed a hand on her waist. "It sure makes me jealous. I'm being left out again, aah…"

The girl sighed as she lamented, but her smile widened. She looked up, met him in the eyes, and then raised her right hand so that it could touch his chest.

"It's here, right?" The girl narrowed her eyes and nodded. "Yeah, it's here. The key's form doesn't really matter as long as it's close to your heart, so that attack was actually a good way to trigger its activation."

The girl took a step forward and looked up. Her hand cupped his cheek as her light brown eyes reflected his face.

"Like this, the requirements needed to break the balance are here. Are you ready?"

It was then the boy realized. It was then that Hyoudou Issei remembered everything and understood what he must do, but the girl moved first by drawing his face in.

He felt a wet but warm sensation on his lips for a brief moment.

"…See you again, _Nii-chan_." A strong wind brought forth waves of flower petals that began covering the world and the girl in front of him. "The next time we meet… let's exchange a ton of stories. Together with everyone."

With that, the dream came to an end.

* * *

 _"Balance Break."_

A pillar of white light pierced the heavens.

A lone red dragon oversaw a sudden change to the constructed realm. He saw the dark sky shifted into a dark blue, and he witnessed a golden light rising from the eastern horizon.

The daybreak arrived while ignoring the thoughts of the Juggernaut.

 **"…Alive? He is still alive?"**

 **"Impossible. But how?"**

 **"Who is it? Where is it?!"**

The dragon immediately scanned the area with his eyes. He looked down and found the culprit at the base of the white pillar.

A figure stood as it held a girl in its arms. It was a human clad in armor, but the dragon detected patterns that did not match anything from his memories. He also did not recognize the shape of the armor that held next to no resemblances to the Boosted Gear Scale Mail.

 **"Balance Break? That's not a common Balance Break."**

 **"A Sub-Species. A Sub-Species Balance Break…"**

Eight wings expanded behind the armored being's back. Eight jewels adorning the armor glowed with divine radiance, and the black portion of the armors opened up, ejecting clouds of white steam and water vapor.

The dragon's blood red eyes met his opponent's emerald green eyes.

Before giving his opponent the chance to think, the had moved and fired rays of crimson light at him. Those arrows exceeded the speed of sound and tore the winds apart, but they were nonchalantly repelled and diffused by a layer of spherical light that surrounded the armored human.

 _Impossible._

It was impossible. It was not possible.

How? How did his enemy gain power that rivaled his own? How did that boy—

 **"You...!? You engraved your existence into the Conceptual Records!"**

The dragon flew down but when he swiped his claws diagonally downward, the boy vanished and reappeared while tearing through the winds with a loud boom.

The dragon sent out both of his extra limbs. They tried to pin his enemy in place but a silvery white arc flashed and the two arms were diced into several pieces.

 **"You…!"**

It was unforgivable. It could not be forgiven. The King of the Land Gods was his enemy, just like the rampaging Gods from above and the Vertexes.

 **"You joined hands with that tree! You borrowed its accursed power to exceed ours!"**

The destroyer roared and multiplied his speed as he flew. He became a streak of light that crashed into the Jukai and overturned the earth crust.

Even so, his attack did not hit his enemy.

 _Where—?!_

"Yeah, well, sorry for being so unreliable that I have to ask for help."

An impact smashed into the dragon's gut. Creaking sounds echoed, but above all that – the dragon felt its upper and lower bodies separated by a clean slice.

"Have some more!"

It looked to the side right as a giant axe flew into view. The dragon was immediately blasted away.

He landed by reforming his body in mid-air, but a sound akin to a thrown metal pipe approached and before he could notice – a second large axe pierced through his body from the back.

 **"What…!?"**

How? Was the weapon thrown at him?

Was the axe thrown as if it was a boomerang? But how did that boy learn such skill?

The dragon did not understand. He could not understand as he lurched forward and spewed blood from his mouth. The divinity carried within the axe was a lethal poison; it was an exorcism tool capable of erasing malice and resentment.

"Even though this is way too late… How about I introduce myself?"

The blood red eyes rolled and traced the figure of the armored human. The hatred building up within his core of existence was screaming as the axe embedded in his body worked to exterminate the lingering thoughts, and it created a vicious cycle that continued to weaken him as the seconds ticked by.

Even so, he could not forget. He could not forgive. He could not allow himself be defeated by the likes of this naïve fool…!

 **"Gh…! Hyoudou… Issei…!"**

 **"What is that? What is that Balance Break…!?"**

The headgear covering his enemy's face opened up and revealed a wide grin.

"That's right. I'm Hyoudou Issei," the boy said. "And I'm back to kick your ass with this Sub-Species of Boosted Gear Scale Mail – Scales of the Eight-forked Serpent!"

* * *

 _I barely made it in time…!_

Issei wanted to laugh. He wanted to brag. Of course he would. He had just got his first kiss stolen by a girl he liked and wasn't that the best thing ever?

The boy felt confident. He felt like he could take on the world. He knew he could do it, and he recalled the steps he took to reach this point.

 _It was a gamble._

He heard there was a way to invalidate the Juggernaut Drive's advantages, overturn the odds, and take back his partner Ddraig. There were a lot of things to consider, but first thing first, he required the help of the Shinju's Conceptual Record.

The conceptual records memorized anything and everything, including various mythological creatures such as Fairies, Youkais, and Demons ever since the beginning of the world. The records stored spells, abilities, even the souls of ancient spirits, but that was what matters the most.

 _So if I want to keep my existence intact, I have to imprint my soul onto the Conceptual Records._

However, he would need to be an inch away from death to accomplish that.

The boundary between life and death was always the thinnest when one was shifting between the two states of being, and with the mortal wounds Issei received earlier, it allowed his existence to be recorded by the Shinju.

 _But I'll have to apologize to Yuuna-chan for getting her involved…_

Issei breathed out. He really had to, as it was his fault for letting her be injured.

When he attained Balance Breaker, he had manipulated the excess life force permeated from his body to cover Yuuna's wounds.

That allowed her wounds to heal while at the same time confuse the Boosted Gear's defense mechanisms with a false-positive signal. Issei was glad that he had remembered all of the mysterious backer's technical jargons.

 _Who'd ever thought paying attention during lectures would actually help?_

Even so, there was an appropriate time to mull over things. Issei looked at the dragon that grew larger as it amassed energy, and he could tell it was trying to overpower him via brute force.

 **"GrrraaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"**

Oh, wow. It really didn't hold back by unleashing hails of energy bullets. Issei heard the word 'Penetrate' again so he guessed the attacks would pass through and erase everything that the bullets hit.

"But this is easy to dodge since you lost your temper, idiot!"

Issei metaphorically stuck his tongue out as he flew out of the Jukai to obtain a wider range of evasive measures.

Naturally, he succeeded.

 _I'm a cheating cheater who cheats, but my opponent is a filthy Edge Lord relying on desires for endless power-ups._

Well, with what he had done, everything balanced out in the end. If the Juggernaut Drive operates on Shounen Hot-Bloodedness, Issei would defeat it by standing his ground and exploiting its openings. It all came down to the strongest spear and the strongest shield but really, he'd rather call it as 'anything goes'.

It was simple and easy to understand, even for idiots.

"Uuh…?"

As storms of arrows flew, Issei heard a sound while flapping his wings.

He sensed the girl cradled in his arms roused from her sleep. Her bright red eyes opened like raised curtains, and she brushed her cheek on his chest in response to the discomfort she felt from the blowing winds.

When she fully woke up, all the girl could do was…

"…Huh…?" Yuuna blinked twice as if disbelieving the reality she had found herself in "…I… Didn't I… umm…?"

The girl soon realized her situation and looked up. At first, she opened her lips and was about to speak further, but she froze over and fell silent.

In the meantime, Issei made a surprised sound as he dodged at twice the speed he was traveling before. _Damn, that guy is seriously pissed off, now…!_

He didn't mind it, to be honest. Issei was back at full health and now he could fight on the same level as the Juggernaut. After that pleasant shock therapy, he had nothing to complain about in the world.

Yes. It didn't matter. The problems between gods. The problem with this desolated world. All of it no longer mattered, because—

"You wanted to save the world, right!?" Issei exclaimed as the dragon roared and chased in pursuit. "Yeah, I know that feeling! Who wouldn't want to keep everything peaceful and happy?!"

As he took a sudden U-turn, Yuuna shrieked. _That's a really cute sound,_ the boy thanked the girl as he flew past the Juggernaut instead of exchanging blows with it.

"I'll be taking this back, you knucklehead!"

With a fluid motion, the boy pulled out the giant axe from its back while slicing the destroyer for the second time. It roared as it lost two of its wings but soon regained balance by regenerating itself.

It might be hard, but Issei noticed his enemy's rate of recovery slowing down.

"Alright!"

"W-What is alright about this!?" Yuuna abruptly exclaimed.

 _Well, isn't that obvious!?_

"Victory is nearly in our grasp!" Issei snickered as he ascended. "So, Yuuna-chan! I need your help!"

He heard a loud 'Huh!?' coming from the girl. She must not have expected that, but Issei felt her gaze probing him and when he heard a deep inhalation—

"…What can I…" Yuuna paused. "What should I do, Ise-senpai?"

With that question, Issei smiled and he stopped accelerating. He turned around, faced the land of Shikoku – and then he locked his gaze with Yuuna's.

"Can I show my love to you?"

The girl made a strangled sound.

* * *

"So that's a no?" The boy asked with a tone carrying clear disappointment and depression.

"No! I mean, wait…! Please wait for a moment…!"

What was this? What was going on here? Yuuna didn't know what to say, much less what to feel. If she thought about it, she would realize her friend was completely serious and she had no reason to ever doubt her friend who was famous for being blunt to a fault.

 _H-He said he wants to show his love, but doesn't that mean…!?_

For some reasons, what Yuuna could imagine was holding hands and cuddling in the bed, but _why_ would her imagination bring her all the way there?

 _This isn't making sense or helping me!_

Upon realizing her mind was moving away from the issue, Yuuna did what she would usually do to calm her thoughts: taking a deep breath in.

"Oops."

Then for some reasons, a ray of light flew by. It almost hit Yuuna but thankfully Issei dodged it with a well-timed evasion.

However, a fierce barrage of arrows rained down. Yuuna felt a chill running down her spine, but her friend easily and nonchalantly avoided them all.

 _Even though he was totally useless until I got here…_

Yuuna didn't know why, but she felt happy and annoyed. Maybe it was because of Issei's frivolousness, or maybe because their enemy was trying to kill them while they talked about love.

 _…Come to think of it, why would we talk about_ that _in a battle to the death?!_

"Yuuna-chan? Hey, are you listening?" Issei frowned as if he found something fishy. "Why do you look as if you're thinking 'The world around me has gone crazy'?"

"H-How did you know!?"

After she said that, Yuuna immediately covered her lips. She just messed up…!

"Well, I do agree that this is kind of weird, but I'm linked to the Shinju right now. I can tell by asking Gyuuki and Kasha…"

"Waah! Don't just stop moving! Go right! Go right!"

"Oh, right. There we go. Anyway, Yuuna-chan, the Fairies monitor your mental condition so I can surmise your thoughts—"

"Don't look away! Those arrows are coming again…!"

Issei raised the giant axe and split a ray of light with its tip, so everything turned out to be alright.

However, Yuuna was seriously questioning the gravity of the situation.

Everything was becoming more and more ridiculous but she was recovering to the point that she could shout again. Was Issei opening up to her and thus made sure the Boosted Gear did not eject her out of the constructed realm?

 _Uuu, that just makes me even more self-conscious about what I heard earlier…_

What was she supposed to do? She couldn't understand and her mind felt like it was reaching a dead end no matter what. She also felt the blood rising all the way up to her shoulders, neck, cheeks, and to the crown of her head; everything seemed confusing.

 _Ah, uuh… What… what should I do…!?_

She had to say something, right? She had to answer her friend's feeling, right?

But what was she supposed to say?

 _T-That's right…! Mom always said this when she's with dad in their room!_

"P-Please be gentle!?"

Yuuna received a peck on the lips.

* * *

"And with this…!" Issei swung the arm holding the axe to the side. "Let's begin the final confrontation!"

He felt an enormous power surging forth from the depths of his soul. The Conceptual Record unlocked a part of itself and allowed him the ability to summon a new power, and Issei accessed what he needed to overcome his enemy.

"Come forth – Shuten Douji!"

The jewel on his left gauntlet flashed brilliantly. Petals of flowers floated into existence and protected Issei and Yuuna from the countless light of destruction. Once the attack died down—

"Th-That's…!" Yuuna exclaimed as she looked at the _tekko_ covering Issei's right arm. "H-Huh…!? That looks like my equipment, but it's actually not…!?"

"Well, I'm still way too weak to pull out a divine armament without paying a penalty, so I have to swap it for something a little low-priced for now…" Issei raised his right fist and looked down. "Oh, yeah. This is an upgraded version of my armors. Basically, I can now use eight different powers slotted into the jewels, but the requirements work like the legend of Yamata-no-Orochi. Also, I can only use only one weapon at a time."

"H-Huuuh!? Doesn't that mean—"

Issei nodded. "I'll have to kiss someone that I have some genuine affections for first to install the power, and I'll have to deepen my bonds with them, master the powers all by myself and use various combinations to maximize its potentials."

 _In other words, I have to work harder._

"W-Whaaaat…!?" Yuuna shrieked. "T-Then, that kiss from before…!?"

"Ah, well... The upgrade was third on my priority list. My second priority was flirting with you, Yuuna-chan. "

"Then what was your first priority!?"

Before she spoke any further, Yuuna blinked as if finding something was odd and looked at herself. She saw her wounds closing up before she looked back at Issei. He smiled instead of saying anything; he knew the girl could piece the truth together and solve a simple puzzle like this.

"T-This is… Umm…" Yuuna hung her head as she hid her reddening cheeks. "…T-Thank you, Ise-senpai…"

 _Ah, her face is beet red now,_ Issei noted and grinned in happiness. _That's Yuuna-chan for you; she's so cute, like a small animal!_

"You're welcome!" Issei laughed. "Now, then…!"

The boy wished he could continue flirting with her, but that must wait until the battle was over. Issei wiped off the smile on his face and replaced it with a determined look and gave his enemy his undivided attention.

"Let's get going, Yuuna-chan," said the boy. "I… We still have to save Ddraig too."

He had to help his partner. He wouldn't be able to face Gin if he failed at taking the first step. _But first… let's not get ahead of ourselves and tell Yuuna-chan what I just stumbled upon._

"Don't worry," Issei said. "Everything will be alright. I'll make sure of it from now onward."

 _So—_

"Will you help me realize my dream, Yuuna-chan?"

As Issei smiled at her, the girl paused, looked up, and…

"…You don't have to ask that, you know…?" She let out a calm sigh. "From now on, I can't just leave everything to you, Senpai. What if this happened again?"

Then...

"Let's go Ise-senpai," Yuuna said and formed a smile as she looked ahead. "Everyone's probably tired of waiting for you."

* * *

The dragon witnessed two stars descending.

Red and pinkish white, those two colors reminded him of the distant past he adored and missed the most.

 _…Why…?_

As he roared and fought, he wondered why the current host was granted the privilege to attain what he was denied.

 _Why…?_

He had tried. He had tried hard to obtain the power necessary to create a world that needed no gods, and he was just a step away from realizing that hope.

 _So why…!?_

The dragon flew. He was followed by two enemies. His blood red eyes captured the figure of a human who ignored his lament by borrowing the power of his enemy and suddenly stopped to aim at him.

He reached out with his claws, but the enemy swung his _tekko_ and crushed them. Flame erupted out from the demonic weapon and the dragon recoiled when he felt a sense of extreme danger from that power.

The fire that could incinerate everything.

That great demon – the Shuten Douji was backing up the boy completely.

 _Why!?_

The dragon roared as he used his claws to tear at the boy from his blind spots.

He could aim at his wings, his sides, or his legs. Whatever the boy could do, the dragon could do better. He had to be better and surpass any obstacle presented to him!

"Sorry, but this is a tag-team battle!" The human glanced.

The dragon was too late to notice the gigantic mechanical arm smashing into his back. His body bent as his bones and flesh were pulverized, and his vision shook until darkness took it away for two seconds.

When he realized what was going on, he had been lying on the ground. He barely got the time to get up and jump to the side to avoid a sudden sense of danger approaching from above.

The boy with the tekko glove crashed down.

Waves of flame split in four directions and washed over the dragon, and he could only roar in agony as the flame burned away his power and resentment.

 _I will never accept this…!_

He could not. He could not forgive his enemy. He had to consume him and erase him into oblivion.

 **"AaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!"**

The dragon let loose a storm of arrows of light. He roared as the arrows pierced and erased the world, and he continued to roar as if losing all senses and reasons.

He would destroy everything that interferes. He would crush everything, even gods, and demons if that was what he needed to regain the past.

 _It doesn't matter!_

For the sake of the happiness, he had lost. For the sake of the smiles that were stolen by the beings that toyed with the world and those who lived in it... He must not lose here...!

"Stop being stupid already…!"

A voice reached out and pulled the dragon back from his madness. He looked ahead of him and saw two figures approaching while avoiding all of his attacks.

They exceeded the speed of sound while avoiding his light.

They blurred past the rain and moved in perfect synergy as if they were one. Even if they took different movement, they reached out and arrived at the same pace.

The boy and the girl flew and clenched their fists. Their voices united as one, and the destroyer opened both his mouth and the armor covering his torso.

 **"Longinus Smasher…!"**

With a great roar, the world was bathed in an all-consuming white light.

The winds howled. The earth trembled

The water vapors evaporated while air erupted in explosions.

However—

"Hero Club's Five Tenet…!"

The dragon saw it. The dragon witnessed one of the two escaped by jumping to the side with all of her might.

The mechanical arms surrounding her spewed white smokes and shimmering heat, but she had successfully avoided the dragon's ultimate attack and closed in while he could not do anything.

"Number two…!"

A mechanical arm flew and struck the dragon's head from his right. He saw the divine weapon creaking as cracks ran over it, but the girl who swung the armament at him moved further by detaching herself from the steel halo behind her back.

She leaped forward. She entered her optimal range, and she attacked.

"Try not…!" Yuuki Yuuna pulled her right arm in. "To give up…!"

A blow hit the dragon's right shoulder. In the next moment, the upper right half of his body was blown off in an explosion that scattered flower petals.

 **"…!?"**

The beast let out a wordless scream.

The rampaging dragon howled as multitudes of emotions erupted from the core of his existence.

As the light of reason within his eyes vanished, the dragon held his ground and swung his left claws at his enemy. It was an unavoidable counterattack—

"If you can't understand it, then I'll tell you this…!"

A shadow fell and a giant axe bisected his left arm from before the elbow. The divine nature of the weapon burned and permanently damaged the dragon, and his steps faltered.

 _What—_

[I've been waiting for you to lose your temper like the headless chicken that you are.]

A voice. A familiar voice that was supposed to have disappeared had resurfaced. _How—!?_

[Don't be surprised yet,] the true owner of the dragon's body chuckled. [After all, the strongest hosts assisted me to make sure it would look as if I got completely devoured by you. Too bad, but you are nothing when compared to Elsha and Belzard who never lost their selves until now.]

 **"Y-You bastard…!"**

[Is that all you can say?] The Welsh Dragon scoffed. [No wonder my partner cornered you. So this is your limit – oh look, _here he comes._ ]

The dragon looked up as an armored figure flew toward him with blue lines of light blazing out of the thrusters attached to the back part of his armor. Flower petals flourished and the patterns on the armor changed shape as if to mirror the power his enemy had obtained.

[Let me teach you something, you bug of a bug…]

A single jewel shone with dazzling red-pinkish brilliance, and Hyoudou Issei roared as he swung his left fist enveloped in the infernal flame of a great demon.

"You don't live while running to the past!"

The blow landed – and all was consumed in a burning red conflagration.


	74. Last Chapter - Smile at You

He could no longer feel power in his limbs or even his core of existence.

He was returning to the depths of Boosted Gear. Once again, he would be bound in chains and imprisoned until the right time arrived. However, with how the events had developed until this point, even waiting would bear no fruit. It was the end of the line for him.

 **"…Why…?"**

He looked ahead and saw the host walking away. He saw a girl cradled in his arms, and he was reminded of a memory that he thought had long vanished from his muddled conscience.

 _Ah, so that's it._

He understood why he was defeated.

For all that he wished for, he chose to sacrifice everything to accomplish his goal. The limitless freedom he desired mean he would gladly destroy even those he wanted to save. He would destroy anything and everything, and if he succeeded…

 _There'd be nothing left for me to protect._

He closed his eyes briefly. When he reopened them, the boy basked in pure white light began to disappear. At the same time, the monster felt chains binding him down and dragging him into the abyss he was born in.

He didn't look back. He simply stared at the receding back of the boy… and he smiled.

 **"…Great challenges stand before you,"** he said. **"Someday, you will be forced to face the world and all that threatened to take away what you wish to protect."**

 _Let me give you an advice, my junior…_

 **"…Don't lose your way… Hyoudou Issei."**

* * *

"Is it over...?"

A man breathed out. His mind was heavy, but the burdens on his shoulders were lifted. To be perfectly honest, he didn't know if that was a good thing or not.

"...Well, it's passable, I guess," the person he had struck a deal replied. "It's not a perfectly happy ending, but the outcome is within the margin of expectations."

 _Yeah,_ the brown-haired man agreed as he formed a bitter smile. _That's true enough.  
_  
"Then..."

"I know, I know." The man with blonde and black hair raised his right hand and waved. "Let's begin the clean-up operation."

He snapped his fingers and a clear sound reverberated. At first, nothing happened but all who were in the vicinity with the appropriate skills, talents, and training looked up to the sky.

Magic circles appearing from nothingness. They numbered in the hundreds and they all bore the same diagrams that displayed their affiliations. The great priestess of the Shinju gasped and looked at the two grown men.

"Wh-What are you trying to do!?"

"What, doing what adults are best at," the Fallen Angel said with a lopsided smile. "After the children are done playing around, the mess they left behind needs to be cleaned up. Isn't that how it usually goes?"

"B-But will this not affect your position as well...!?"

He and his partner-in-crime exchanged brief looks. One of them snorted and the other scoffed as if finding something funny. Their smiles reinforced the girl's worries, but well.. _.  
_  
"The world has changed around this part," the brown-haired man said. "So we might as well go for broke. Everything will go back to normal faster that way, Aya-sama."

Well, maybe not in the sense that was previously known by everyone, but at least it would not necessarily be a bad thing.

Plus, there was some business he had to deal with as soon as he was done helping everyone out. The heads of Taisha wouldn't like waiting around without receiving a reasonable explanation, although they would probably sour the mood by acting stubborn for a bit.

 _Not this one, not that one,_ Ichirou thought and sighed. _Why do people always try to make their lives harder than it is?  
_  
The man looked up and raised his hand to cast some shadows over his eyes. He thought for a bit before some words slipped out of his lips.

"I'm proud of you, son." Ichirou closed his eyes and let his pent-up emotions spill out in his laughter. "...But I can tell. You're not going to stop until you get everything you want in the very end... right?"

 _Go for it. Both I and Kanae will always be watching over you, Ise._

* * *

Red. The rising sun painted the approaching morning sky with a sheen of red.

How long had it been like that? How much time had passed? Yuuna didn't know, but as she moved her head and raised her shoulders, she heard a soft murmur coming from next to her.

When she looked to her right, she found a girl sleeping while resting her head against her shoulder. She was dressed in a pale purple hospital robe, and her dirty blonde hair fluttered in the winds like golden threads.

"…Ah…?" Yuuna blinked and widened her eyes while her eyebrows rose in an equal mix of surprise and confusion. "…Sonoko-chan…?"

It was strange. She realized that she had been sleeping while sitting. Her back was leaning against a pile of torn rubble and both she and Sonoko had reverted back from their transformation.

When she scanned the surroundings, Yuuna also noticed that a few meters ahead was the end of a road which faced the sea.

 _Does that mean… this is the Ohashi…?_

That would mean she had returned. It felt strange, considering the fact that she had been fighting against an avatar of past grudges, despair, and resentment in a world disconnected from reality. It was all like a dream.

When she breathed out, Yuuna heard the rocking waves from the sea and the wind blowing. She smelled the scent of the ocean and when she opened her mouth, she could vaguely taste the salt in the air.

"…Huh…?" Yuuna muttered, unable to contain her surprise. "…My senses… they're back…?"

 _How? What had happened?_ She thought she had offered parts of herself after using Mankai repeatedly, but for some strange reasons, her senses were fully functioning. Once she thought about it, Yuuna recalled what had happened to her and unconsciously touched her lips with her right hand.

"…Did that… have something to do with this?"

Seconds passed by with the winds continuing to blow toward the land of Shikoku.

 _"Have you woken up?"_

 _Huh?_ Yuuna looked up and saw a person descending from the sky. It was a certain youngster in armor, and the way he looked at her forced Yuuna to exchange gazes with him. It was…

"…Ise-senpai…?" Yuuna moved her eyes and discovered the brown-haired boy had emerald green eyes instead of the usual brown eyes. "…W-Who are… you?"

Instead of answering her question, the boy that seemed to be acting unlike himself merely gave her a long stare. She heard him taking a deep breath, and she swore she had heard him muttering something quietly.

However, soon after, the boy placed a hand on his waist and looked up.

"It does seem like there will be people coming to fetch all of you. And it looks like a particular numbskull is somehow still alive." The boy scratched his head as his red armors dissolved into particles of light, revealing his damaged school uniform bathed by the sunset. "For working as best you can, you all barely succeeded in preventing the worst outcome from happening."

He finished with 'Well done' as if praising her, but Yuuna couldn't think a word to say about it. What was he talking about? What was going on?

 _...Who is this person standing before me…?_

"He still has one final task to finish, unfortunately."

The boy stared her in the eyes. Even though she knew it was him, it wasn't him. It felt as if the person before her was someone else possessing her friend's body to speak, just like what had happened to Aya.

"What he did was impressive, but like everything that can be accomplished in this world, he must pay the appropriate price," the one using the boy's mouth to speak said. "In the very end, he drew the short stick. That brat truly has no luck or talent."

The boy took a step forward, yet he wobbled and his arms swayed as if losing strength. He looked as if walking was something he had never done before, and the energy in his limbs was slowly dissipating.

Yuuna's heart thumped anxiously as the boy stumbled but refused to fall.

"You don't need to fret about it," said the 'boy'. "After all, he decided that taking back what you lost is more important than anything else."

"…Taking back… what we lost…"

The boy formed a tired smile as the truth hit the girl like a speeding freight train. He stood in front of Yuuna and Sonoko – only an arm's length away – and the boy slowly kneeled down to meet Yuuna on eye level.

"Before he went off, he told me to relay a message. Make sure to listen, because this might be the last time you heard his voice."

Yuuna widened her eyes. Something screamed inside of her – something that sounded like her own voice shouted that she didn't want to know – but the one in front of her held his breath and spoke out.

 _"See you again, Yuuna-chan."_

The boy formed a familiar expression.

Yuuna knew it was _his_ voice and _his_ emotion reaching out to her. She recognized the smile and carefree expression he always had, yet it all disappeared as the boy's eyes lost their light.

"Ise—"

He leaned forward. He fell onto her and rested his head against her chest. His breathing evened out but the heartbeat she sensed was weakening.

After he closed his eyes, the boy never woke up.

* * *

Time flew by.

For every passing day, the area was filled with construction noise. The sounds of spinning drills. The sounds of saw cutting through steel beams… The overall ruckus created by people speaking loudly filled most if not all settlements throughout Shikoku every day.

Even now, excavation, rebuilding, and reconstruction continued to happen.

For a perfectly logical reason, the town of Sanshu wasn't in a bad shape, unlike its neighboring districts because of its location. Furthermore, most damages were concentrated around Marugame and Sakaide, so the necessary manpower was mostly sent there.

Though saying that…

 _They have done a hideously good job,_ a girl thought as she caught a few _winged people_ flying through the morning sky above her. _Those wings look extremely convenient…_

The girl bashed her idle thoughts aside.

She didn't want to rely too much on the latecomers who swept in and taken a huge load off everyone's shoulders with some wondrous magic, but she could appreciate their organization's capabilities.

At the very least, the Grigori were more talkative and less religious than Taisha. That musclehead of a hero from some foreign lands was also cooperative in answering questions, though Karin could do with breaking his leg for once.

"Still," the brunette muttered as she headed toward a store that she had once visited with her classmate. "…I'm rather surprised that this flower shop somehow stayed intact."

 _Did it have divine protection or something? Was there a_ zashiki warashi _guarding the store?_ Her thoughts were cut off when she saw two children exiting the store. They paused when they saw her, and one of the two pointed at her with a shocked face.

"Aaaaah! It's _Hero-nee_! What are you doing here!?"

"N-Nii-sama!? Everyone is going to hear that!"

"But Chikage! This Nee-chan is one of the _Hero_ people always talked about!" The boy who was the older sibling exclaimed. "They're the ones who fought and defeated those nasty huge bugs! They even fought off that huge dragon!"

The girl internally winced. _Words truly spread fast…_

"Kouta!" shouted a third voice from within the store. "Don't speak so rudely! And what did I tell you about pointing at other people?"

The young boy made a sound that was halfway between a grunt and a choking noise, and he hung his head as he apologized to her.

 _…Sigh, this place really hasn't changed._

After accepting the apology, the girl strode into the flower shop and greeted the owner. She saw the old woman smiling at her like usual, and she was grateful for that. The girl had never wanted to be a Hero for something as stupid as status or popularity.

 _Then again, I've been coming here every week after I got released from the hospital._

"Good morning. How have you been, Karin-chan?" The elderly woman asked.

"I'm fine. I'm a Hero, so illnesses and muscle aches can never beat me."

The way the old woman smiled unnerved Karin a bit. Did she notice? It was true that she has yet to regain her former strength. _As expected of the elderly, they have the immense wisdom to learn from._

"Are you here to buy flowers again, Karin-chan?" The owner asked again.

"Nn. The same as always, I guess." Karin replied. "Oh, and, I think I would like to know how to trim them… well, the plants from before."

"Is that so?" The elderly woman chuckled. "It looks like my efforts have paid off then. I'll be sure to give you some notes while I'm at it."

Karin thanked the owner with a grateful smile and bow. Although she was a bit troubled since she couldn't properly respond when there were _two kids tugging on her sleeves…!_

"…What is it?" Karin glared at the younger sibling, as the older one was already a lost cause.

"Ah… U-Umm…" Chikage stepped back, fidgeted, and looked back up. "…Karin-onee-chan, when will Ise-onii-chan come here again?"

Karin stilled and stared long at the young girl. However, the elderly woman who was the girl's grandmother patted Chikage's head and smiled softly.

"He will visit again. Have you taken a liking to making flower braids?"

"Un! I want to make flower crowns with him again!"

"Then you should surprise him by improving yourself." The elderly woman looked up to meet Karin in the eyes. "Isn't that so, Karin-chan?"

The brunette stared back for a bit before she sighed in resignation and smiled a little.

"Yeah. I'm sure that idiot will be in for a huge surprise."

 _And I'll be sure to punch the living daylight out of him,_ Karin added in her mind. _No one is allowed to shrink their duty as a club member._

* * *

At a student dormitory, a girl rose from her bed and greeted the world with a yawn.

She rubbed her drowsy eyes, slid open the curtains, and saw a giant crow flying through the morning sky. The girl paused as her mind tried to understand the strange sight before she planted her fist into her hand lightly. _Right, Fallen Angel; nothing weird at all._

"Still… mythological beings really do exist, huh?" The girl grunted as she opened the windows of her room, letting the air circulate and feeling the cold autumn winds brush past her. "Mrgh… so cold! Why is it that summer ended so fast!?"

Probably because she slept through most of it.

Then again, it wasn't like she had any choice after using Mankai several times. It was hard, after all. Even though she knew that she would recover, that still didn't mean the rehabilitation process wasn't stifling.

Fuu relaxed her shoulders. _It's still morning and already I'm fussing about things._

Really, she wished that she could take it easy for once. As her thoughts revolved around that vain wish, the girl changed her clothes into her school uniform and tidied up her appearance. When she left her room, however, she saw someone dressed in a similar uniform in the kitchen.

"Itsuki?" Fuu wondered aloud, the girl with short blonde hair styled in a princess cut turning around upon hearing her voice. "G'morning. What are you doing?"

Her little sister paused. She seemed uncertain, and Fuu immediately realized her blunder. Was she an idiot? Fuu was about to correct her mistake when Itsuki opened her mouth.

"…Ah… umm… Onee…chan…" Itsuki muttered in a hoarse voice. "…I, this is…"

Fuu's eyes widened. Had... had Itsuki regained her ability to speak?

"…Onee…chan…?"

Snapping herself back to reality, the elder Inubouzaki sibling rushed to embrace her sister with joy. She laughed as she said 'thank goodness', 'I'm glad', and similar phrases, but soon that happiness made her aware of one crucial detail.

"…I…" Fuu retreated, looking down at the floor. "…I guess now you can sing again. I'm glad to hear that, Itsuki."

Her little sister nodded.

"…With this… with this, everything is going to return back to normal soon… right?"

At her question, Itsuki softly smiled and stepped forward. She raised her arms, encircled them around Fuu's back, and she held her older sister tight.

"…I'll do my best," Itsuki said. "…I'll make sure… my song… my voice will reach everyone's heart… so, when the time… comes…"

Fuu gasped as she felt the emotions carried by Itsuki's words. She stifled as the dam within her was about to burst, and she returned her sole family member's gesture of affection and understanding with her own.

"…I'm sure… Senpai will be happy to hear it…"

The girl felt warmth permeating from her cheeks and neck. She felt her vision growing blurry, and she held herself back so as to stop her entire feelings from breaking out.

"…Of course, he will be happy," Fuu breathed out. "…After all, he worked hard and returned your voice too… Itsuki."

* * *

"Hmmm…."

Beneath a wooden terrace, a red-haired girl hummed in thoughts. She was sitting close to her friend on a bench, and they were watching an acquaintance trying her best to recover what she had once lost.

Their watchful eyes reflected the figure of a blonde in hospital robe focusing on her task to regain her ability to walk as she took small steps forward with a crutch.

Close to her, a nurse and a doctor dutifully observed her rehabilitation.

"…Sonoko-chan is working very hard, isn't she?" Yuuna asked.

"Yes," Tougou replied with a nod. "If only she would stop saying 'it's fine' when it's actually not. I never thought she'd be so stubborn…"

 _Somehow, I can totally imagine that happening_ , the redhead thought. It was easy to tell how fast her recovery was, and the blonde seemed to be eager to run around like a child again. _She must have a lot of pent-up energy after being bound to the bed for two years._

The girl honestly couldn't imagine how Sonoko would feel. While she could empathize because she had tasted the experience of losing her legs, she was still capable of moving around.

 _Understanding people really is difficult…_

The girl exhaled and looked to the sky. The clouds were thin and few today, it made her want to bake some sweet potatoes. Yuuna's stomach immediately growled at the thought and her best friend snickered. When she took out a boxed lunch, Yuuna cheered.

"Thank you, Tougou-san!" Yuuna opened the lunch box's lid and froze over. "…U-Umm… Tougou-san…? This is..."

The black-haired girl that had stopped using her wheelchair to walk around gave a smile.

"Yes. Today's menu has the theme of a healthy diet, so…" Tougou entwined her fingers together as she tilted her head. "Please make sure you can overcome your weaknesses, Yuuna-chan."

 _She's wicked! I didn't know Tougou-san can be so wicked!_

Despite her complaints, Yuuna did not waste the food given to her. She cleaned the lunch box like a hungry wolf despite her dislike for the ingredient used.

Of course, she sobbed when her throat tried to reject the offering, but as a Hero, Yuuna powered through the hurdles and finished it all by washing it down with a cup of hot tea.

Yuuna blinked when the scent reached her nose. "…Oh, is this roasted rice tea?"

"With honey as the sweetener, yes. As expected of Yuuna-chan."

No, well, there was nothing to praise there, right? Or rather, was there even a need for that? She was just guessing randomly, right?

 _…Uhm, let's set that aside._

Counting the time, it had been several months ever since then. Summer was over, school restarted and though there were a lot of things going on, the adults earnestly kept the children away from being bothered by it all. A lot of people from the mainland came to Shikoku because they heard the news and, although the truth was covered quite well, everyone tried to help each other to restore the daily lives that were almost taken away by the Vertexes.

It was a sight to behold, truly.

Especially after what had happened to Yuuna and her friends. What they had lost due to Sange were returned, and Aya said that there was no need for the Heroes to fight anymore. Of course, Yuuna was skeptic about the news but for now, what mattered the most was that those she treasured were fine and alive, and wasn't that more than enough?

At the very least, it was plenty enough for those who had survived the ordeal.

"...Mm… school festival is coming up soon," Yuuna said after she finished her tea. "…Are we still going to do it, the club performance…?"

Rolling her eyes to the side, the redhead saw Tougou looking ahead with a… slightly solemn face.

She still had her smile, but it was a troubled one. The worst thing about it was the fact that Yuuna understood why Tougou was having difficulty in answering.

"Well… Fuu-senpai believes that it would go against the tenets." Tougou stared ahead as her friend tripped and was supported by the nurse just-in-time. "…It's the same for you too, right, Yuuna-chan?"

"…Nn. I… guess."

Yuuna inadvertently averted her eyes from her friend. She didn't know why at first, but she soon realized that not even she herself was able to accept the final outcome of their battle.

 _In the end,_ Yuuna thought. _I couldn't save him._

After recuperating and returning to school, everything had become slightly vague. It wasn't really that big of a change, but it was still a change nonetheless.

The school was hectic until autumn truly could be felt by everyone. It was difficult for everyone involved as the battle had impacted the public's view of the reality they were living in. Thankfully, Taisha and the organization of the black-winged person worked together to assure everyone that the whole truth would soon be disclosed, so a temporary peace had returned to the lands of Shikoku.

However, in the midst of it all, Yuuna wondered.

 _If I wanted to be a stronger person than the 'me' now,_ she thought, w _ill I have to go out and see the rest of the world with my own eyes?_

Was this what that person felt when he was given the choice to either save his loved ones or the world? Was this what others had experienced before, to leave on a journey instead of living while being surrounded by warmth and love?

Doubts and confusion filled her mind, and it was unpleasant, as even though she wanted a definitive answer…

 _…I don't know._

No matter how far her thoughts brought her to, not even the blowing winds carried a clue to solve her problems.

 _…If only you are here with me…_

* * *

It was time for the Sanshu Municipal Middle School's autumn festival.

As per the tradition and rules, the school premise had become a public space for the people all over the town to visit with the students being the hosts presenting their projects.

The festival would last for three days with the students participating in the first day as representatives of their class before they were allowed to do the stage performances as members of extracurricular clubs.

This year, the theme for Tougou's class's attraction was western café.

It was such a shame, for it had no Japanese spirit. The style used was European, so it didn't give her much sense of enthusiasm. However, Yuuna and Karin in maid uniforms were cute, so it was forgivable.

 _They are so adorable when paired together, yes._

Tougou was also glad that she could wear a uniform befitting someone like her. When she looked in the mirror, dressed in a long black skirt with an apron and a white frilly headdress, she looked like an individual coming straight from the Taisho era. Was this what is called Victorian-style? Tougou believed it matched her tastes quite nicely.

 _But in the very end, kimonos are definitely the best choice for a Yamato Nadeshiko like me._

The morning began with a ceremony and enthusiastic cheers from the whole student body. The school gate was then opened and before everyone knew it, every stand and class was filled to the brim with curious souls. There were parents, relatives, even friends from other towns to neighboring prefectures.

For her part, Tougou's class was visited by familiar people she knew quite well, all of them ranging from her birth parents to Karin's older brother.

"Wah!? K-Karin-san, why are you hiding!?" A concerned classmate asked.

"S-S-S-Shut up! Leave me alone! The kitchen needs me!"

The brunette tried to hide herself from view when she glimpsed the figure of her older brother, but she ended up getting caught while acting so wild like a child. Tougou was sure Karin was exaggerating it, but then again, having one's family visit you while you're wearing a costume would normally do that.

 _Nevertheless, the kitchen is meant for the boys, so Karin-chan would feel overly self-conscious if she transferred herself to that place._

"Oh my," said her mother who looked like a grown-up version of Tougou. "It looks good on you, Mimori."

"...Thank you very much." Tougou formed a smile. "...Umm… I'm glad that both of you can come here… Otou-sama, Okaa-sama."

The couple stared long at Tougou and after a while, they breathed out with tension leaving their shoulders. Tougou had to chide herself for realizing that fact this late. After all, just like her, her birth parents did not know how to properly connect with her.

 _...I would not have noticed it before,_ the daughter realized. _Have I changed a little?_

She hoped that was the case. She hoped that she could come to terms with her past and her own feelings someday. It didn't have to be instantaneous. As long as everything would end well, Tougou was fine with taking it slow and steady.

 _Despite that…,_ the girl scanned the classroom that had been turned into a cafe and the hallway. _As I thought,_ his _family didn't come._

"…Am I hated?"

Tougou blinked when she heard the sudden question thrown out by Karin's older brother. If she remembered correctly, he was Harunobu, and the man said to be a prodigy that triggered Karin's inferiority complex looked around the table as if seeking an answer.

"No, not really. I think she's just embarrassed," Yuuna's father replied with a wave. "It's probably because you rarely interacted with her, so she doesn't know how to act after all these times."

"…I see." Harunobu pushed his glasses up and sighed. "I suppose that can't be helped. What about you… Tougou-sama?"

Tougou thought she was being called, but then it turned out that the young man was talking with her parents. That reminded her that she had been addressed in a similar way by the person named Aki, but… _I suppose being called by my family name all the time will cause that._

Despite thinking like that, she couldn't help but want to eavesdrop. This Harunobu person was a member of Taisha, and he still remained in that place even though many had resigned from the organization after the incident.

Why would he—

"Why do you keep working there, Miyoshi-kun?" Tougou's father who was always seen dressed in a plain deep blue kimono asked.

 _Oh dear, looks like my thoughts are similar to my father's._

Tougou wondered if that was a good thing or not. Maybe it runs in the family? That… she didn't know exactly what to say, but it felt a little heart-warming at least.

Then...

"I want to change things, of course," Harunobu replied. "The Hero System is a very interesting piece of technology, but I have no interest in developing programs that aren't user-friendly. And as per the petition of my colleagues and most members of Taisha, we will remove the Mankai, Sange, and the Fairy's divine protection features in the next update."

His answer received an awed response from Yuuna's and Tougou's parents. Tougou herself was a bit impressed by the directness of Karin's older brother in speaking out his thoughts.

 _As expected of Karin-chan's older sibling,_ the black-haired girl in a maid uniform concluded, resuming her work as she thought that there was no more need for her to listen in on the conversation between adults. _Indeed, there truly is no need for a system that continuously sacrifices a part of oneself._

With this, there was one less problem to be concerned about.

Naturally, Tougou still had her own complaints, but she decided to act professionally. The school festival was a wonderful event that must not be missed, and she wished to graduate with an abundant amount of nice memories that she would never forget.

 _Now, the next order is…? Hmm?_

"Oh." Tougou looked around and raised her right hand. "Yuuna-chan! Will you go buy some more supplies with Karin-chan?"

"Eh? Okay, then! What should we buy?"

"Please ask the cooks in the kitchen for more details!"

As her closest friends left their posts, Tougou sighed. _My workload has significantly increased with this, but at least I can focus on—_

"Oh, right. Excuse me, the waitress over there! Daughter of Tougou!"

"…Yes?" Tougou turned around.

She found Karin's older brother waving his arm. Was that how he always acted? Then again, he seemed like someone who preferred practicality over aesthetics, so she supposed he was just like Karin in that regards.

"You should check your phone," said the member of Taisha. "Preferably before your stage performance."

 _…Huh…? That sounds… a bit ominous._

* * *

The day passed eventfully.

From morning to evening, Sanshu Municipal Middle School was filled with noise. It didn't come as a surprise when the school's charms had become a hot topic throughout the prefecture. Of course, a certain club wasn't the only reason why people gathered together.

Yuuna felt like everyone seemed a little restless, but that might be because they wanted to enjoy their time of peace as much as possible.

 _After all… there's no telling what will happen in the future._

Would knowing everything and be capable of doing anything alleviate their concerns? Yuuna was able to fight toe-to-toe against monsters that defied common sense, but she couldn't protect everything.

 _But that's common sense,_ she thought. _The world can be unfair and there are times where you fail no matter how much efforts you put in._

The people who said 'It couldn't be helped' must have realized that. The reason why they could wholeheartedly say that was probably because they had given up on resisting and chose to avoid the problems wholeheartedly. It was a pitiful but unavoidable way of life for most.

"Yuuna-chan? It's time for the climax."

Blinking, the redhead looked up and met her best friend's warm gaze. Both of them were at the auditorium hall where it was used to put on various stage performances, and they were waiting behind the stage for their turns.

The Hero Club was doing a play.

It was a play based on good versus evil. In a faraway place, there existed two warring countries. They couldn't reconcile but one day, a terrifying Demon Lord appeared and struck a huge blow on their enemy. The people suffered under the villain's tyrannical rules, and one day, a Hero rose from the masses to bring peace to the land.

 _It's a childish fairytale like any other,_ Yuuna thought with a smile as she donned her costume and accepted the props given by her best friend. _But it's still a story meant to tell a tale of courage, hope, and happiness._

The Hero had gone through a long and arduous journey. Sometimes, the trials presented to her became too hard and she felt like giving up was the better option. More than soldering on by herself, the comfort of home and love of her people was infinitely better than defeating a great evil that would one day ruin itself.

 _But I still want to be a Hero that can make everyone's dream to come true._

"Then…" Yuuna looked back at her best friend and waved. "I'm off, Tougou-san. Itsuki-chan."

"…Un. Do your best out there, Yuuna-chan."

"You can do it, Yuuna-san…!"

Yuuna smiled and ran towards the light shining on the brilliant stage. The background changed and people moved about secretly, her classmates all giving their full support to create a shifting scenery that ended with a dark castle lit by the pale moonlight.

From her position at the edge of the stage, the spotlight shone on Yuuna. She changed her expression to fit her role as a Hero, and she pointed her wooden sword forward.

"Demon Lord, show yourself!"

With the cue given out, figures appeared from the other side of the stage. This time, the lighting gave them a dimmer and dull color that contrasted the white light shining on the Hero, as if to reflect their position as the villain who could possess nothing but evil intentions to the world.

However, Yuuna's eyes widened as she saw two cloaked figures wearing masks.

One of them was the Evil Sword General. She was a skilled swordswoman who was consumed by her own ambition and destroyed everything that stood in her way to prove herself. Karin was the one behind the mask and the personality of the Evil Sword General had her give off an arrogant and toothy grin.

Meanwhile, the other was a horned woman with a broadsword. Her hair was light blonde and she wore a crown. It was the Demon Lord in the script, and it was played out by none other than Fuu.

 _But the Demon Lord should be appearing after the Evil Sword General is defeated._

What happened to the script? What was going on? As Yuuna wondered aloud in her mind, a third figure stepped past the two girls and spread an arm to the side.

"Ah—"

An armored figure stood there. Lit by a burning gold-colored spotlight, it was a person obscured by red armors. The audience held their breath as some questioned the identity of the armored figure, and—

"You have come a long way to reach this place, Hero!"

The booming voice described the armored figure's personality. It was a boy with a fiery spirit in his voice, and an aura of absolute confidence could be felt emanating from his gestures, few as they may be.

"I applaud you for your struggle, but it is all futile," the armored figure said. "After all, you have decided to end a mere conflict. Even if you defeated this Demon Lord, another conflict will start to brew, and this time, it will happen among your people."

The armor-clad boy's cape fluttered as the winds from the backstage blew past him. He raised his left arm, clenched his hand tight and threw his fist to the side, all to emphasize his point.

"Have you not learned!? This world is full of wickedness! You can't be certain that everything will succeed! You can't expect a happy ending waiting for you at the end no matter how many times you reassure everyone!" The boy exclaimed. "Do you think you can overcome it all!? Do you think you can continue to struggle even if you lose everything!? Answer me, bearer of hope!"

A switch could be heard flipping.

The stage darkened with only the spotlights shining on the villain and the protagonist. The story had proceeded while paying no heed to the script, and a new character was suddenly introduced who understood the Hero's struggle.

Yuuna took a deep breath in as flower petals showered the stage.

"…You are right."

The sword in her hands felt heavy. It was just a prop, just a stage equipment. Even so, Yuuna thought that the sword was something that reflected her will and justice.

She didn't like it when she saw her friends crying and in pain.

She hated it when she could not spend her daily life together with her loved ones.

Even so, life would continue on and time would eventually separate her from everything that she held dear.

"Every good thing will come to an end," Yuuna admitted. "Things will also get hard. The pain might suffocate you. Sadness may make you feel it is better to just give up. Despair may blindside you. Every loss will crush you even if you try hard to overcome it."

Before the 'Demon Lord' could question her resolve once more, the Hero let go of her sword and shouted a clear 'but!'

"Even so…!" Yuuna swung her arm to the side. "Even so, you can still get back up! After all… After all, you are here, aren't you!?"

Here, in this very place.

Here, on this promised stage where ideals intersected paths.

"It's okay to cry when you are sad. It's okay to be angry when you're upset. There's nothing wrong with looking back to the past and regret your mistakes…!"

The girl stepped forward as the boy stepped back. The two moved in such a way as if one of them was afraid of the other.

"What…" The Demon Lord muttered. "What… are you trying to say?"

At some point, the villain had stopped moving as if he had run out of room to retreat. At some point, the protagonist found her resolve and stood her ground. The girl looked up to meet the boy in the eyes and placed a hand on his cheek.

"You reached this place," Yuuna said. "Even if it's filled with mistakes, you've accepted the past to live in the present. You are here because you earnestly desired the happiness you truly want."

The Hero took the Demon Lord's hand and entwined their fingers. She formed a smile as flower petals danced in the air, and she breathed in before telling him her true feelings.

"I'll be there with you," said the Hero. "Even if it's painful, even if it's unbearably sad… You can create a tale of happiness as long you don't give up on trying to be happy."

The Demon Lord stood still. As if petrified by the Hero's words, he stood like a statue… then he looked up.

"…I see."

The villain swayed and crumbled to his knees. The Hero fell to her knees as if following his fate, but the Demon Lord fell forward and was caught in the Hero's arms. At the same time, several people ran toward the two and surrounded them as if to support each other.

It was then a voice could be heard.

"…Will I… be forgiven…?"

When the Demon Lord raised that question, the red armors covering his body cracked in places. The sound was akin to shattering glass and it echoed throughout the auditorium hall where the audiences could only stay to watch and observe.

The Hero's answer was straightforward and without hesitation.

"Of course you will. You just need to apologize when you make a mistake."

The armors of her enemy shattered, fading away into motes of red that ascended to the lights above the stage. As if the prison binding the Demon Lord was no more, a brown-haired boy could be seen sighing with tired eyes gradually closing.

"…I… I'm sorry, for leaving you all behind like that." The boy inhaled and exhaled. "...Can I... Can I be with you all, again...?"

The people surrounding him exchanged looked briefly. Even without saying anything, they already knew what the others thought. They formed smiles on their faces, and one of them asked back.

"Aren't you already here with everyone?"

A brief silence dawned. Soon, it was ended by a weak chuckle that seemed to say 'You're right'. As the seconds passed, the boy looked up and expelled one last sigh. Hyoudou Issei smiled.

"…I'm home… Yuuna-chan…"

The girl paused, caught off guard by his words before she laughed. Why would he call her that in this kind of setting?

 _Aah,_ the girl lamented as she sighed in a mix of resignation and joy. _I really can't believe you, senpai…_

…No, that would be the wrong way to respond, right? The Hero held the boy she loves dearly. She will not let go of him. She will not give up again. So, from now on…

"Welcome back… Issei-kun."

 _Let's start by taking a small step forward, with a small bit of courage in our hearts._


	75. Epilogue

Time marched on.

The season slowly began to change once more. Flowers bloomed and wilted, and the world shifted together with the many people out there, all in preparation for the coming of autumn. There was no telling if the precious peace everyone had would continue to last, but still, none refused to live their life to the fullest.

In order to wake the people up from their apathetic lives, an important move was made.

"Can you hear me, the people of this country?"

From the gold tower that had been repaired, a national broadcast had just begun. It was sponsored by the organization that monitored the world and protected the people of the Land of Roots from its various outside threats. It was once known as an organization whose name meant 'Grand Shrine', but after the fall of the previous era, it had renamed itself as 'Amnesty'.

"Well, I'm just a low-rank member and I hate formality, but anyway, there is some news you all have been dying to know."

That organization was Taisha, and now a spokesperson of it had chosen to address all of the people throughout the country with various methods.

"This is the whole truth," the voice that reached out to everyone's ears said. "You can ignore it, or you can accept it. You can also place your suspicions and blames on this stupid organization but keep it down to a normal level, got it? Your life is important and reality is harsh enough as it is, so let's just enjoy our days."

In all directions of the winds, magic spells and communication devices spread out words that could not be ignored. As everyone's attention was inevitably drawn to the person that seemed as if he was speaking to their minds directly, his words easily wormed and ingrained themselves into their hearts.

"Three hundred years ago, the previous age ended. But that's not because of some natural phenomenon," the spokesperson paused. "A lot of amoral and egotistical gods united together under one banner. They pronounced their intention to 'purify' the world and declared war on everything that existed."

He followed with 'I'm sure you can piece it together now' and said it without beating the bush.

"The gods waged wars against themselves, but the so-called 'Evil Gods' won at the very end." A laughter was heard through the broadcasts. "Funny, isn't it? There was also another war that happened long before this 'War of the Gods', and it seems the rampaging gods used loopholes left behind by the three participants of the previous war to steal and use important resources as an instant-win button."

In other words, the fault could be blamed on those three participants, but that was not the point. If that was all it took for everyone to start a riot, then they were either complete idiots who knew no better or they were blindsided by their emotions to the point that they abandoned what little logic they had.

Then again, the latter category was still a bunch of idiots too.

"To protect the surviving people, the Land Gods that chose to side with humanity fused into one existence," the spokesperson said. "Yeah, you got it right again. Shinju-sama is the final form of the Land Gods, but they still lost against the 'Evil Gods', weakened to an unfair level, and were exiled all the way to Shikoku. Truly, it's like the main character being demoted to Krilin's position."

That might be a little too harsh as some knowledgeable people visibly winced. Nobody wanted to end up like Krilin or worse, Yamcha.

Nobody deserved that even if they were losers in life.

"Anyway," the Taisha's spokesperson returned back to the main topic. "Because there's just no way in defeating the gods from above, the King of the Land Gods wished for an amnesty. You can imagine a tree kowtowing, but the fact is, Shinju-sama was desperate and at wit's end. I'm sure you active and retired corporate slaves know how it feels the best."

A lot of people thought that the sad fact shouldn't have been tacked onto the end of the explanation.

However, said corporate slaves – be it the wannabe, the active, and the former – all of them nodded in complete understanding even though they were not talking directly with the spokesperson. Then…

"The dickish gods have one demand – offer up six human sacrifices to save everyone's skins for a limited period of time."

The spokesperson paused in a moment of silence to let the facts be absorbed first. Once the truth sank in, he proceeded on with the flattest voice he could produce.

"Not only that, they must be maidens with the purest hearts. Taisha and Shinju-sama had no choice left, so they decided to gather children with potentials from across the country and select six people out of them all as plain ol' _human sacrifices_."

He pointed out it was the same as burying venerated women in the lands where the foundation of castles would eventually be built upon. It had once been done in the distant past, but in modern days, it was not something that could be forgiven so easily.

Even so, with the world destroyed and with no place left to escape, what else could be done?

"This practice has been done before, and it was used again to keep everyone alive, so listen well." The spokesperson raised his voice and spoke slowly as if to get his points across. "Our ancestors survived and we are all here because _six young girls were sacrificed_ to appease some random gods. Isn't that great?"

He didn't bother to hide his disgust or the vitriol in his question. He didn't bother to speak of lies or even honeyed words. His words tore into the hearts of many and the methods he used to spread his words could not easily be dismissed.

"But apparently, that's still not enough," the spokesperson sighed. "Ever since then, three hundred years of peace have passed by. The knowledge of the outside world faded away, the truth was concealed, and yet only a few were in the know. Taisha, of course, worked hard to find a countermeasure but somehow, some years ago, those bastards from above suddenly wanted to finish us off by sending out their minions. Yes, it's those bug-like monsters and the huge things that look stupid as hell."

A name was used to tag them. The monsters were collectively known as 'Vertex' which meant the apex and the highest point. They were said to be the ultimate life-forms and they could learn from experiences, reproduce endlessly, and call down unimaginable power that easily broke scientific laws over their knees.

"A plan was made to repel the Vertexes. Referencing from the old era, a group of children is selected and venerated as 'Heroes'. Taisha said they're important human resources but I think the guys behind me need to take a psych eval. They treat children as tools instead of… well, children."

Everyone was sure they heard some ruckus from the background, and the broadcasting tools let out mechanical shrieks for a while. After several coughs ensued, the national broadcast continued.

"Either way, the latest incident happened because of some unforeseen element. That doesn't change the fact that it's going to happen again as the end is pretty much an inevitable thing. Even Shinju-sama has a lifespan."

The man speaking from the other side of the line uttered 'Now I ask of you all.'

"You can choose," he said. "Pick a fight with the gods, Shinju-sama, Taisha, or anyone else. You can hide in the corner, hoping for all this to be a dream. You can also ignore me and my words to live like usual. Do whatever you want if you think it's the best for you, but…"

As he took a deep breath, everyone waited for him. They truly waited, and…

"…My son dreamed of changing the current world, so I'm going to support his dream even if it will lead to my death." The man laughed. "Now, who else wants to join us? We're currently in such desperation that we're accepting even a cat's help. We also have some fancy cookies to raise our odds of victory."

* * *

Dawn greeted a small dilapidated house.

The tiled roofs reflected the golden and red sunlight. The white walls had aged from years of weathering, and the round windows filtered the light trying to peek into the building.

However, the time where the house was filled with voices of children and adults had long past.

Save for the kitchen, store room, bathroom, and a shoddy bedroom, any familiar sign of life had long vanished. The only thing left were three photo frames sitting on a cupboard a few meters away from a black altar, each of them telling the history of a group of eight, a gathering of four, and a family of three.

As usual, the sole resident of the house had already been up and about long before daybreak. It was proven true when the sounds of wood swinging through the air echoed from the backyard.

Once, twice, thrice. The sounds varied and shifted inconsistently. At the same time, sounds of breaths being pulled and released could faintly be heard.

A youth wielding a wooden stick spilled white breaths quietly. Dressed only in sweatpants, the young man drenched in sweat narrowed his eyes as he spread his legs, lowered his hips, leaned forward, and held his practice weapon with both hands.

"…As far as I can see, you only get serious when something catches your interest, huh?"

A calm voice came from a pavilion standing close to a pond. A second youth yawned while sitting on a bench surrounded by the structure's eight pillars. His right foot tapped against the marble floor a few times, and his robe was left hanging on the railings behind the bench without a single care.

"I can't help it," replied the young man who was earnestly practicing his skills. "We don't know what will happen in the future. If you let your guard down even a little, you're going to be left behind and be devoured."

"I'd say that only applies to the people of this country." The youth in a white shirt shrugged, propped his right elbow on a round table in the center of the pavilion and rested his cheek in his right hand. "The more I think about it, the more I realize how insane some people can be. Is it normal for a government to collapse just like that?"

The stick-wielding youth laughed. He agreed on that front, but it wasn't like there was any other option.

"You are being far too close-minded. The age has begun to change once more, so why can't the new replace the old? Besides, that allowed us to wipe out the spies and traitors all at once."

The man in shirts grunted and scowled. "All I want is to know the limits of magic. I don't need politics and possible back-stabbings breathing down my neck."

The youth holding a wooden stick nodded in acknowledgment as he rotated in place, delivered several bashing motions from various angles and finished with a high-speed stab.

"Well," the stick-wielding youth sighed and released his stance, ending his morning practice a minute earlier than scheduled. "It's about time, right?"

He looked up. Chasing away the night, morning arrived with a blowing breeze. The leaves danced in the garden and the youth heard a familiar noise. When he looked to the side, a fish leaped out from the pond, making a beautiful arc before it fell back down into the water with a splash.

The youth laughed. Was that supposed to be a premonition? He shook his head as he rested the wooden stick on his shoulder and exhaled. He evened his breathing intervals, and then he headed towards the pavilion.

"Contact our allies," the youth said. "It's time to end this long-overdue war."

"Oh? And why do you think that idea merits any chance of success?"

 _Isn't that obvious?_

The youth smiled and looked up to the eastern horizon where sunrise emerged from. Beyond the great walls standing past the mountain range, a sea once existed and separated two countries.

"If we can gather all of the Longinus, then surely killing every existing malevolent deity is not beyond our reach, right?"

He felt the gaze of his second-in-command on him, and the 'Great Leader' chuckled as he shrugged. The second-in-command could only exasperate and pinch his nose at that.

"Coming from the person whose Will is approved by a dead God, I can see why you'd think like that… Cao Cao."


	76. After Story - Summer's Promise

A short tale began as the cicadas sang.

A presence approached a mountain slope blanketed with stones. While a few people could be seen, he saw no familiar face until he reached the base of the stairs leading to an elevated part of the land.

"Hey," Issei called out, waving at his friends who had gone ahead by themselves. "Sorry I kept you two waiting, Sonoko-chan. Tougou-san."

The two girls turned around and met his gaze. Both the girl with dirty-blonde hair and the girl with long black hair tied by a green ribbon smiled and greeted back in their own way. One of the two was holding a bouquet of flowers.

"We have just arrived too," Tougou said as her white and blue sundress fluttered in the winds. "Have you finished your work, Issei-san?"

The boy nodded. "Somewhat. The newbies are treating me lightly, but at least Harunobu-nii is helping me."

The two heard Sonoko laughing and they turned to look at her with wonderment in their eyes.

"Han-kun is rising in ranks rapidly," the Heiress of Nogi family said. "So, Han-kun. Has anyone confessed to you, yet?"

Issei blinked, approached Sonoko, and removed her hat before rubbing her hair roughly with a wide smile that did not quite reach his eyes. The girl instantly flailed around her arms as she begged for forgiveness.

"Did I hear that right? Has your personality become even worse than before, huh? Huh? Huuuuh?"

"Owwie! Give up! Please, have mercy!"

After the girl pleaded for the third time, Issei finally complied and returned her hat back to its place. It still didn't stop him from giving Sonoko an exasperated look, and Tougou chuckled a few times which made him sigh out loud.

"I've been meaning to ask this, but why do I get the feeling Sonoko-chan is getting wilder and wilder as days go by?"

"It can't be helped…" Tougou's gave a soft and thin smile full of understanding. "Why don't you let her do as she pleases for everything she has gone through, Issei-san?"

 _While that might be true, this and that are two entirely different matters._

The boy sighed and placed a hand on his waist. He looked to the side, observing the rows of houses, buildings, and the sea that continued to sing by producing sounds of crashing waves.

A mild summer breeze blew by. The trees outside the cobblestone path rustled.

"Summer is here again," Issei said. "It sure feels nice."

"There were too many things going on last year, so it was difficult to enjoy the season to the fullest." Tougou stepped aside and brushed her hair as she followed his gaze. "Then again, we are having a rendezvous. I wonder what the others would say."

"Yuuna-chan is probably crying for not being invited along." Issei nodded at the thoughts.

He merely gave his honest opinion, so the boy didn't expect to draw out a few laughs from Tougou.

Even so, at least that entertained her.

He counted it as a good thing in his book, but suddenly the scolded girl behind them approached and stood between the two while holding their arms together.

"Today, I got Wasshi and Han-kun all for myself!" Sonoko exclaimed.

"That's because you won the rock-paper-scissors match, Sonoko-chan…" Issei sighed.

"Mu! Why are you unfazed!? Han-kun, this is a date, you know! You have two ultra-pretty flowers on both hands, you Casanova!"

 _I'm not sure calling yourself ultra-pretty is a good way to raise your points,_ the boy considered. _Plus, I'm living out my fantasy almost every day; can you blame me for getting used to this constant happiness I'm granted?_

Issei feared he would grow numb to being so happy, but that meant he needed to strike a balance somewhere.

While it was true that he had learned a lot ever since he moved to Shikoku, he thought that as a person and as a man, he's still lacking in many ways.

 _I'm still not where I want to be, so I have to work even harder from now on._

"…Han-kun?"

 _Hm?_ "Ah… What is it, Sonoko-chan?"

The girl he had made a promise to smiled and shook her head. Was that her way of saying 'Nothing important'?

Even though he had become an existence close to an _Arahitogami_ , Issei could only guess.

 _I guess not even the Shinju's great vault of wisdom can help me understand girls._

Naturally, he had no complaint on that front. Why bother trying if he could do anything? Issei was fine being the way he was and he achieved a lot of things despite his flaws and weaknesses. He didn't need godly power and knowledge.

 _Well, maybe besides the power to change the world and win in a war against numerous gods, but hey, everything will work out if everyone keeps on trying._

Settling his internal musing with such line, Issei smiled back and looked up the stairs.

"Come on, you two. Don't we have a promise to fulfill?"

Tougou smiled and entwined her hand with Sonoko's. At the same time, the blonde went ahead and started pulling both her best friend and the boy she made a promise with.

The three climbed the stairs and talked about their days. Issei started it first by reporting his summer homework was finally finished to Tougou. The black-haired girl responded with a simple nod and a kind look. She even praised him and promised to treat him with homemade sweets!

"Eeeh…! That's unfair! I also want sweets, too!" Sonoko pouted.

"Oh, then you should finish your summer homework first, Sonocchi," Tougou muttered. "I won't help, though."

"W-Why!?"

Issei mumbled with a hand pressed on his chin, "Well, Sonoko-chan _is_ a prodigy, after all… Not that she has much motivation to work hard."

"I can hear you, Han-kun! I can totally hear you!"

Oops. It seemed he had blundered. Issei coaxed the girl dressed in light blue frilly clothing by patting her head. It was super effective.

She even purred like a cat. _I didn't know Sonoko-chan likes being petted on the head…_

However, it didn't seem like the trick worked for long. Sonoko exclaimed 'Hah! I'm letting my guard down!' and ran off by herself; leaving behind both Issei and Tougou in an instant.

"Aaah… there she goes," Issei sighed and formed a bitter smile. "Well, since it's really hot today, we should just take it easy, right?"

"Un. I still don't have the stamina to run for a long while, too…"

Really? Issei recalled that Tougou took the least time to recover from her disability. He figured her persistence and diligence had been at play, but then again, he still doesn't know everything about the girls he was close with yet.

Building relationships would always require time, but that was what made them all the more precious.

 _In that case…_ "Tougou-san, have you remembered everything?"

The girl in a sundress hummed as if in thoughts. "...Yes. I suppose you can say that. However…"

"...Memories are different than feelings… huh?" Issei cast his gaze down. "...So it's still not enough…"

Issei felt his shirts being pulled. Looking to the side, he saw Tougou tugging on his sleeve, pulled the boy to the side and made him realize that a group of people was passing through from up ahead.

He accepted Tougou's wish to let the entourage walk past them, and he glimpsed their expressions.

 _…I guess… that should be for later._

After he decided that, both the girl and the boy resumed their walk. Soon they reached the second checkpoint. As expected, the number of the people was growing less and less.

Issei knew that the whole region was managed by Taisha, but the higher they climbed, the more he felt he was treading into a sacred ground.

Even so, when he looked over the few visitors, he wondered.

Were they family? Were they friends? Did they have some history with each other? Were they visiting just because? Or were they visiting because they wanted to settle with the past and look ahead to the future?

"…People really are complicated."

Issei couldn't help but give a comment like that. Walking by his side, the black-haired girl hummed as if in thoughts.

"While it's true that everyone is born equally weak, many factors will shape their lives and guide their paths," Tougou muttered as if giving clarification. "Did something happen at work, Issei-san?"

 _…Sharp as always._ Issei realized that he could never lie in front of the people he had bonded with, so he could only exhale and told himself that there was no need to mind his pride. _She even minded her words so as to not raise suspicions, so…_

"The same, I guess." Issei shrugged. "Everyone is working hard, but some people still wanted to create a ruckus."

"…I see," Tougou said. "I'm sorry, for being of no help to you, Issei-san."

The boy waved. He appreciated the concern but he had been prepared to do his part. _I am, after all, a part of the Shinju now._

"If I can change something, that means I'm heading in the right direction." Issei raised his head and stared at the cloudless summer sky. "You don't need to feel guilty, Tougou-san."

"…Even so…"

The boy sighed. As always, there was no way in stopping her, huh? Issei wasn't one that could stand seeing a person depressed, especially a girl he was close with.

 _But what should I do…?_

"…Hmm. Say, Tougou-san, can I ask for a reward then?"

The girl made an 'Eh?' sound as she turned her head. That caused her to meet his gaze, but Issei grinned and took the chance by linking their arms to entwine their hands.

"Ah, huh, eh…?" The girl stuttered as her cheeks turned red. "I-Issei-san…?! What are you—"

"If you feel you've done something you regret very much, then you can apologize or redeem yourself, right?" Issei's grin widened. "Until we reached that place, stay like this to redeem yourself, Tougou-san."

The black-haired girl in a sundress stared for a bit. Issei saw her exhaling, but her grasp tightened a little and the boy knew what he was about to hear next.

"...Issei-san, have you learned nothing at all after what Fuu-senpai taught you?"

"Well, I wouldn't be like this if I'm not with you or the girls from the Hero Club," Issei replied. "Didn't I tell you, Tougou-san? If you want to do as you please, then I too will do as I please."

 _So…_

"You'll have to make me yield first if you want to win."

Tougou didn't respond at first. But as seconds passed by – the girl sighed again before she met Issei's gaze with her own brand of determined looks.

"Very well. I will strive to tame this womanizing dragon."

Issei felt a chill running down his back when he saw the grin directed towards him. _A-Am I subconsciously_ expecting _something from that grin…?!_

* * *

Sonoko realized that there was something slightly off with one of her friends when they arrived at their destination.

She tilted her head. "Did something happen?"

The brown-haired boy shook his head furiously while the black-haired girl merely giggled with a hand close to her lips. _Huh, looks like Wasshi has leveled up her strictness into something else…_

Since that sounded fun, the heiress of the Nogi family took a mental note and stored it in the story materials folder inside her head. Being a bit more adventurous might open up a wider range of possibilities, after all.

"…S-Somehow, I feel like there's a cold wind blowing past this place." The boy hugged his arms and looked around frantically. "But the grasses and trees aren't bristling! Why!?"

Sonoko's best friend beamed. "That must be your imagination, Issei-san."

"Or maybe a spirit is passing by," Sonoko pointed out with a sly smile. "Maybe when Obon arrives, we're going to see a lot of spirits and youkais~"

The boy retorted 'Hyakki Yakou doesn't appear in broad daylight!' but Sonoko seriously believed he was exaggerating it now. Then again, it wasn't like she would want to see actual ghosts too, but the potential of gathering story materials would be amazing!

 _Still, Han-kun sure has become sensitive._

It must be because he was acting more and more like a proper guardian deity.

While she still couldn't understand the details, the boy – Hyoudou Issei – had taken a few authorities from the Shinju and made them his own. While they were not things that could assist him in changing the world in a meaningful way, he was now capable of partially managing the Hero System and change the level of divinity flowing into the Heroes linked through the Terminal.

 _Normally, that would be a scary thing to consider,_ Sonoko thought. _But Han-kun is someone I can trust completely._

He was working hard. Even though he had regained his daily life, the boy decided to pursue his dream even if he had to start early. He had taken a part-time job at Taisha ever since he had fully recovered, and Sonoko knew that he had been assisting in the new project Taisha had officially launched at the beginning of this year.

 _For all this, I wonder…_

Would she receive divine protection if she tried offering prayers to the dragon standing before her?

* * *

 _Somehow, I have a feeling Sonoko-chan is scheming something again…_

For his own safety, Issei stepped back.

However, he noticed what lied ahead and stopped what he was about to do. _Aah… looks like we should stop playing around, then._

He wondered if they had been rude.

Looking back a bit, the three of them were practically treating this visit as if going on a picnic. There was no tension and they happily enjoyed every moment of their travel from the beginning.

 _She's probably going to complain about that again…_

Sighing lightly as if thinking 'it couldn't be helped', Issei marched forward. Tougou followed behind him while Sonoko walked a little ahead of him.

It took them fifteen steps to reach the promised place. It took them a brief moment to acknowledge the facts laid out before them, and Issei looked past a stone object to gaze at the scenery beyond the mountain slope facing the town and sea.

A gust of wind carrying the scent of salt brushed past him.

 _It feels nice,_ Issei honestly thought. _I should find more windy places like this next time._

However, his thoughts were interrupted when he felt Sonoko tugging on his sleeve. The girl pointed at a well nearby and handed him the bouquet of flowers she had been carrying around.

 _Ah, looks like it's my job this time._

Issei obeyed the order. He went to the well and discovered it was abundant with water. Probably, it was a spring remodeled to have the appearance of a well. _At least that makes this less tiring._

The boy grabbed a wooden bucket near the well. He filled it with water until it was half full and placed the flowers in it. After that, he grabbed a ladle and returned to his friends.

"Thank you, Han-kun." Sonoko smiled, placed the wet flowers in front of the stone tablet and arranged them in place.

Once she was done, she clapped her hands together and stayed still for a minute or so. As if finished, Sonoko lowered her arms and retreated so that Issei could do his next job. The boy put a ladle into the wooden bucket, took out a cup-full of water, and then finished by slowly pouring the content down on the stone.

The tablet showered with the summer sunlight absorbed the water and let excesses of it slide down its rough weathered surface. The scent of watered soil permeated, and the cicadas continued to sing as if to fill the air with music that would never end.

The boy followed Sonoko's gaze. He read the words engraved on the stone object. It was a name he knew all too well—

"…Mino-san," Sonoko muttered. "It's been two… three years, hasn't it?"

The question she had raised did not receive an answer.

Of course, no one was going to answer. After all, what existed there was merely a tombstone, a grave meant to honor the deceased. The person Sonoko was trying to talk had passed away, and today was the date of her passing.

On a certain day during the summer, Minowa Gin fought against three Vertexes and drove them away at the cost of her life. Today was that fated day.

"…I can finally see you again," Sonoko said with an unfaltering smile. "I've been working hard, you know? It was all thanks to you and Wasshi. And Han-kun as well. I wouldn't be here if I gave up~"

The sound of inhalation could be heard from the girl with dirty-blonde hair. Sonoko's shoulders rose and sank, but the girl continued to smile.

"I won't cry," Sonoko said. "I've… already cried, after all. I don't even know how many times I've cried after you went ahead by yourself. The last three years have also been tough, so… I think I've had enough of crying."

The girl nodded a few times before she stepped back to stand side-by-side with Tougou and Issei, swept her gaze at her friends and looked back to the tombstone.

"Don't worry. I'm not alone." Sonoko linked her arms together with Tougou's and Issei's."Wasshi is here with me. Han-kun is here, too. I heard you helped him, but it's unfair that you only looked after Han-kun alone without greeting Wasshi and me."

Issei exchanged glances with Tougou.

The black-haired girl shrugged noncommittally, which made him roll his eyes and shake his head. _Man, looks like these girls can also hold quite a grudge…_

It seemed he still hadn't known enough about his friends if he didn't expect even something like that. However, nobody asked. Why was that so difficult to accept?!

"But, well… since this is a special day, let's set all that aside." Sonoko heaved. "Mino-san, you said that you want to hear our stories, right? I want to tell you a lot of things, too."

The boy nodded. "It's more like a status report, though. I mean… I'm sure you want to know how your family is doing too, right?"

"And I as well," Tougou added, a gentle smile forming on her face. "Everything that has happened ever since that day. I… I wish to tell you about it all… Gin."

Issei heard her words and felt Sonoko's grip tightened. He wanted to look to the side, to see what sort of expression the girl had, but he chose not to do that.

 _I already know anyway,_ the boy thought. _Sonoko-chan, you're a terrible liar._

He returned the gesture by closing the distance. He sensed the fragrance of a flower, the soft strands of hair with his arm, and he felt Sonoko's warmth transferring through the linked arms. Then…

"…It's alright," Issei whispered. "I'm here with you. Tougou-san is here too, so… I'm sure you can do this."

The girl perked up and met his gaze.

The exchange lasted only for a few seconds, but Sonoko closed her eyes, breathed in, and nodded. When she reopened her eyes, there was a renewed light shining brightly in her eyes, and a smile bloomed on her face.

"…Thank you, Han-kun."

As the trees rustled from a blowing wind, Issei nodded and looked up at the summer sky.

"You're welcome, Sonoko-chan."

With that, the three children began spinning their tales. Words were exchanged. Emotions were conveyed, and time passed as white clouds traversed through the blue canopy of the world.

Those children would visit their beloved friend again. To celebrate, to tell stories, to pour out their feelings, and to accept what they had lost and gained.

And someday in the distant future, at the place where they could gather together and meet each other again...

 _...I hope I can hear your stories too, Gin-chan..._ **  
**

 **\- - End of Chapter One: Hyoudou Issei _\- -_**

 **~To be Continued on: Scales and Flower Petals - Chapter Two: Age of Heroes~**


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